bristtan  (3o'nmmmt 


be  %ubbatb 


JAMES  RENWICK  Oil 


LIBRARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


Presented  by  Herber'h  Ac^^m  &  ^  ^^^^^'^5  - 


JC  341   .D57  1903 
Dill,  James  Renwick. 
Christian  government  and  th 
Sabbath 


christian  Government  and  the 
Sabbath. 


Jaajes  Renwh  k  Dill. 


{      OCT  1  1920 

CHRISTIAN  GOVeVnMENT 
AND   THE   SABBATH  ^  ^ 


JAMES  RENWICK  DILL, 
Author  of  ''The  Saloon  a  Nuisance 
and  License  U nconstitutionaV* 


CoFYRiGHT  1903— JAMES    RENWICK  DILL 


HARPER  &  BROTHER  COMPANY. 
Printers,  Philadelphia 


PREFACE. 


"Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord;  make  His 
paths  strait." 

''Watch  and  pray,"  for  "the  coming  of  the 
Lord  draweth  nigh." 

The  teaching  of  this  Httle  book  is  designed  to 
be  fundamental.  It  should  result  in  advantage  to 
the  Individual,  the  Family,  the  Church,  the  State 
and  the  Nation.  Its  purpose  is  to  present  to  the 
mind  of  the  consecrated  worker,  the  larger  mean- 
ing of  the  petition  in  the  Lord's  Prayer, — "Thy 
Kingdom  Come."  Its  philosophy  is, — that,  it 
is  the  aggregate  of  all  right  teaching  in  the  past, 
together  with  the  pouring  out  of  the  vials  of 
God's  wrath,  that  has  procured  for  us  all  that  is 
desirable  in  our  present  civilization:  and,  it  will 
require  the  aggregate  of  all  right  teaching  in  the 
future,  together  with  the  pouring  out  of  the  re- 
mainder of  God's  wrath,  to  usher  in  the  King- 
dom of  Our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  Its 


belief  is,  that,  if  all  professing  Christians,  in  true 
loyalty  to  Christ,  would  immediately  accept  its 
teaching,  and  in  every  sphere  of  human  life  and 
activity,  act  accordingly:  the  world  would  at 
once  be  dazzled,  with  the  first  gush  of  the  re- 
splendent light  of  the  dawn  of  the  Millennial  day. 
The  purified — united  Church  of  Christ, — is  the 
great  angel,  that  has  the  power  to  bind  Satan  in 
our  great  country,  within  the  brief  time-limit  of 
any  given  period  of  twelve  months.  Let  him  that 
readeth  say,  "amen" :  "so  it  shall  be." 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I. 

Chapter  I. — Different  Kinds  of  Government — To- 
,  gether   With   the   Logical  Natural 

Divisions  of  Scripture    5 

Chapter  II. — A  Definite  and  Undeniable  Christian 
Basis  of  Government,  Together 
With    Important    Definitions  and 

Statements  of  Principles    13 

Chapter  III. — Relationship  of  Different  Orders  or 

Kinds  of  Law    20 

Chapter  IV. — Law  of  the  First  Order  Continued, 
With  Special  Reference  to  Civil 

and  Criminal  Offenses    37 

Chapter  V. — Law  of  the  Second  Order    45 

Chapter  VI. — Law  of  the  Third  Order   50 

Chapter  VII. — Scriptural  Entrenchment  Pointing 
to  the  New  Heavens  and  the  New 
Earth    62 

PART  II. 

Chapter  I. — The  Sabbath  a  Sign    71 

Chapter  II. — Advantages  of  a  Well-Spent  Sabbath  82 

Chapter  III. — The  Mind  of  Christ  on  the  Sabbath, 

or  the  Sabbath  for  Man    q8 


CHAPTER  I. 


DIFFERENT    KINDS    OF    GOVERNMENT — TOGETHER 
WITH  THE  LOGICAL  NATURAL  DIVISIONS 
OF  SCRIPTURE. 

Civil  Government  is  the  science  or  polity  that 
gives  direction  to  matters  of  legislation,  adminis- 
tration and  judiciary  decisions — touching  the  do- 
mestic, the  educational,  the  industrial,  the  moral 
and  the  social  interests  of  the  people  of  a  Com- 
monwealth, State  or  Nation. 

There  are  many  forms  of  government  and  each 
particular  form  or  kind  is  logically  and  naturally 
entitled  to  a  corresponding  basis.  In  the  use  of 
approximate  language  we  will  mention  five  kinds 
of  government. 

First: — There  is  The  Pagan  Form  of  Govern- 
ment— where  the  interests,  usages,  mstitutions 
and  customs  of  the  people  do  rest  upon  and  are 
directed  from  a  purely  pagan  basis.  The  recent 
Boxer  Uprising  in  China  furnished  to  the  world 
a  suitable  exhibition  of  the  nature  and  character 
of  the  pagan  form  of  government.  The  more  en- 
lightened world-powers,  however,  have  vigor- 

5 


6  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


ously  emphasized  their  disapproval  of  the  con- 
duct of  this  lower  type  of  government. 

Second : — There  is  The  Semi-pagan  Form  of 
Government,  where  pagan  institutions,  usages 
and  customs  give  way  to  Christian  civilization 
as  rapidly  as  the  Christ-life  is  breathed  into  the 
people.  The  little  Island  Kingdom  of  Japan  in 
the  Far  East  is  a  suitable  example  of  this  kind  of 
government.  We  believe,  however,  that  the  more 
advanced  students  of  Bible  ethics,  as  applied  in 
matters  of  civil  government  and  politics,  cannot 
be  fully  satisfied  with  the  present  advancement  of 
Christian  civilization  in  the  progressive  little 
kingdom. 

Third: — There  is  The  Secular  Form  of  Gov- 
ernment— where  the  people  once  being  enlight- 
ened,— ^but  by  apostasy  have  fallen  into  athe- 
ism,— the  attempt  is  made  to  eliminate  every 
Christian  feature,  usage,  institution  and  custom, 
from  the  life  of  the  State  and  Nation.  The  gov- 
ernment of  France  during  the  Reign  of  Terror 
did  put  herself  on  record,  as  the  most  perfect 
exhibition  of  Christless  government  to  be  found 
in  the  annals  of  history.  "In  the  day  when  God 
inquireth  after  blood:" — "The  souls  from  under 
the  altar,"  will  cry  out  against  all  those  who 
helped  foist  it  upon  the  people. 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


7 


Fourth: — There  is  The  Semi-secular  Form  of 
Government,  where  the  institutions,  usages  and 
customs  of  a  country  become  secular,  as  rapidly 
as  the  Christ-life  is  eliminated  from  the  Hfe  of 
the  people.  The  German  Empire  to-day,  comes 
into  view  as  a  suitable  example  of  this  form  of 
government.  *  *  *  It  is  from  this  country,  that 
many  of  our  post-graduates  return  to  join  the 
ranks  of  the  so-called  Higher  Critics,  or  to 
become  the  open  allies  of  the  "American  Secu- 
lar Union." 

Fifth: — There  is  The  Christian  Form  of  Gov- 
ernment, where  all  the  institutions,  usages  and 
customs  of  the  country,  do  securely  rest  upon, 
and  are  directed  from,  a  definite  and  undeniable 
Christian  basis.  The  government  of  the  United 
States  and  of  Great  Britain  are  often  spoken  of 
as  suitable  types  of  this  form  of  government. 
But,  when  we  consider  the  many  hurtful  institu- 
tions, usages  and  customs  that  are  established, 
fostered  and  encouraged  by  measures,  called 
statutes  and  laws :  we  fearlessly  assert,  that  these 
great  world-powers,  boasting  as  they  do  of  their 
higher  civilization  and  free  institutions,  are 
scarcely  more  than  Semi-Christian.  The  nearest 
approach  to  Christian  Government  was  on  splen- 
did exhibition  during  the  latter  years  of  the 


8  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


reign  of  king  David,  and  during  the  first  years 
of  the  reign  of  king  Solomon,  over  The  Great 
Theocracy  of  God's  Covenant  People — Israel. 

The  Bible  is  logically  and  naturally  divided 
into  four  parts. 

First: — very  large  portion  of  the  Inspired 
Book  was  written  for  the  direction  of  the  family. 
Herein  is  given  the  most  mmute  direction  to 
fathers  and  mothers  and  sons  and  daughters  in 
the  home.  And  if  the  instruction,  so  complete  in 
every  detail,  thus  given  to  the  individual  mem- 
bers of  the  household,  be  strictly  observed  and 
obeyed,  it  will  result  in  the  development  of  the 
Ideal  Family. 

Second: — Another  very  large  portion  of  the 
Bible  was  inspired  of  God,  for  the  direction  of 
the  individual  members  of  society,  as  to  social 
conduct  and  manners.  "The  Golden  Rule,"  ap- 
pears to  be  the  briefest  intelligible  digest  of  the 
mind  of  Christ  for  the  direction  of  men  in  the 
vast  sphere  of  social  relationships  and  condi- 
tions. If  all  men  could  be  instructed  to  thor- 
oughly understand  and  fully  obey  the  aggregate 
of  the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit  touching  this 
momentous  question,  it  would  result  in  Ideal  So- 
cialism. 

Third : — Another  very  large  portion  of  the  Sa- 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


9 


cred  Writings  was  inspired  of  God  for  the  di- 
rection of  men  in  their  relationship  to  Christ  and 
the  Church.  In  this  marvelous  division  of  Scrip- 
ture— the  Invisible  Church — the  Bride,  the 
Lamb's  Wife,  is  instructed  how  to  adorn  her- 
self for  her  husband.  In  the  immeasurable  full- 
ness of  its  meaning — the  entire  Church  of  Christ 
— is  fully  furnished  as  to  the  important  matters 
of  doctrine,  worship,  discipline  and  government. 

Fourth: — It  is  estimated  that  nearly  one-half 
of  the  entire  Bible  was  inspired  of  God  for  the 
direction  of  men  in  the  civil  sphere.  In  this 
larger  division  of  Scripture,  frequent  mention 
is  made  of  judges,  rulers,  princes,  kings,  coun- 
tries, nations  and  kingdoms.  Those  in  authority 
are  designated  as  the  ministers  of  God  to  the 
people  for  good  and  never  for  evil. 

"The  God  of  Israel  said.  The  Rock  of  Israel 
spake  to  Me;  One  that  ruleth  over  men  right- 
eously, that  ruleth  in  the  fear  of  God,  He  shall 
be  as  the  light  of  the  morning,  when  the  sun 
riseth,  a  morning  without  clouds ;  when  the  ten- 
der grass  springeth  out  of  the  earth,  through 
clear  shining  after  rain.'  " 

This  is  the  Divine  order  and  who  in  unpar- 
donable presumption,  will  be  responsible  for  the 
reversal  of  the  same?  We  live  in  a  day  and  age, 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


when  we  are  resolved  by  the  authority  and  power 
of  the  Spirit  of  the  Father  and  the  Son,  to  apply 
this  division  of  Scripture  to  the  conduct  of  men 
in  the  sphere  for  the  which  it  was  Divinely  and 
incontrovertibly  intended.  Verily,  if  this  portion 
of  the  Bible  be  not  applied  according  to  the  Di- 
vine purpose,  for  the  instruction  and  direction  of 
the  citizenship  of  countries  and  the  rulers  thereof, 
it  must  remain  forever  without  a  mission.  If  we 
suffer  this  important  division  of  Scripture  to  be 
relegated  from  the  sphere  of  its  application,  by 
those  who  presumptuously  play  with  the  deter- 
minate purpose  of  God,  our  so-called  Higher  Crit- 
ics may  then,  indeed,  take  a  sharp  scalpel  and 
by  legitimate  surgery  sever  it  from  sacred  con- 
nection and  bury  it  with  the  obsolete. 

When  the  four  logical  natural  divisions  of 
Scripture  given  for  the  instruction  and  direction 
of  the  Family,  Business  and  Social  life,  the 
Church  and  the  State,  are  properly  understood 
and  obeyed  by  an  ever-increasing  circle  of  the 
disciples  of  Christ,  the  increased  activities  of 
the  same  in  all  lines  of  reformatory  work  will 
result  in  the  promotion  of  the  domestic,  the  edu- 
cational, the  industrial,  the  moral  and  social  wel- 
fare of  all  the  people.  A  more  enlightened  citi- 
zenship will  then  come  to  understand  the  truth, 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


II 


that,  so  long  as  a  government  will  continue  by 
hostile  measures  and  enactments  to  mar,  wound 
or  crucify  any  one,  or  all  of  these  vital  interests 
of  society,  she  ceases  to  be  truly  Christian,  and 
must  remain  unworthy  of  the  franchise  of  a 
Christian  people.  The  entire  Christian  citizen- 
ship of  the  country  must  not  only  come  to  know 
that  the  law  of  Christ  is  of  universal  applica- 
tion; but  to  labor  with  untiring  zeal  and  energy 
to  indelibly  impress  the  mind  of  the  general  pub- 
lic with  the  other  fact, — that  there  is  no  sphere 
of  human  activity  where  man  may  escape  the  pen- 
alties which  are  to  be  inflicted  for  the  violations 
of  the  same.  Through  the  heralding  of  God's 
truth  and  the  pouring  out  of  the  vials  of  His 
wrath,  the  entire  race  must  eventually  come  to 
know  that  there  is  no  sphere  of  human  activity 
where  man  may  pass  from  under  the  authority 
of  the  royal  scepter  of  King  Jesus.  Regenerate 
men,  in  possession  of  the  full  splendor  of  the 
light  of  the  glorious  Gospel  of  Christ,  are  willing 
and  loyal  subjects  in  His  vast  domain ;  while  the 
vulgar,  the  profane  and  the  unregenerate  are 
subjects  in  rebellion.  When  the  Divine  purpose 
of  the  Father,  as  to  the  advent  of  Christ,  shall 
have  been  fully  achieved,  the  Son  of  God — the 
Providential  Governor  of  the  Universe — will  rule 


12  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


the  kingdoms  of  this  world  on  a  definite  plan. 
When  the  full  import  of  the  meaning  of  the  pe- 
tition in  the  Lord's  Prayer,  "Thy  Kingdom 
Come/'  shall  be  fully  understood  and  obeyed, 
Christ  will  be  enthroned  in  the  hearts  of  all  the 
people.    He  will  give  direction  to  the  domestic, 
the  educational,  the  industrial,  the  moral  and 
social  interests  of  a  redeemed  race. 
"He  shall  have  dominion  also  from  sea  to  sea, 
And  from  the  River  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth. 
Yea,  all  kings  shall  fall  down  before  Him; 
All  nations  shall  serve  Him." 

The  supreme  motive  of  love  to  Christ  should 
lead  all  Christians  in  the  exercise  of  the  higher 
patriotism,  to  labor  with  untiring  zeal  and  en- 
ergy in  the  promulgation  of  the  doctrine  of  the 
mediatorial  and  universal  authority  of  the  once 
crucified, — but  now  risen,  glorified  and  exalted 
Redeemer.  We  have  discovered,  moreover,  that 
it  is  the  imperative  duty  of  all  men  in  every 
sphere  of  human  activity,  as  soon  as  they  re- 
ceive instruction,  to  render  willing  obedience  to 
every  requirement  of  the  Law  of  Christ,  in  order 
that  they  may  continue  to  be  civil. 


CHAPTER  IL 


A  DEFINITE  AND   UNDENIABLE   CHRISTIAN  BASIS 
OF  GOVERNMENT,  TOGETHER  WITH  IMPOR- 
TANT DEFINITIONS  AND  STATEMENTS 
OF  PRINCIPLES. 

Christian  Government — together  with  every 
Christian  institution,  usage  and  custom  is  logi- 
cally and  naturally  entitled  to  rest  upon  a  Defi- 
nite and  Undeniable  Christian  Basis.  The  Chris- 
tian Family,  the  Christian  Church  and  the  Chris- 
tian Nation  are  all  entitled  to  rest  upon  such  a 
basis,  and  it  is  illogical,  as  well  as  unnatural,  that 
any  such  institution  should  be  required  to  rest 
upon  any  other  basis.  The  day  is  coming,  more- 
over, when  a  Christian  people  will  be  filled  with 
amazement  at  the  thought  of  the  advocacy  of  any 
other  for  a  single  moment.  It  cannot  be  expected 
that  a  secular  people  will  tolerate  for  a  single 
decade  a  Christian  basis  of  government,  and  it 
should  be  regarded  as  preposterous,  that  a  Chris- 
tian people  should  tolerate  for  a  single  decade  a 
secular  basis  of  government.  Absolute  chemical 
opposites  have  no  true  affinity.    Oil  and  water 

13 


14  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


do  not  mingle;  fire  and  water  are  enemies 
and  when  brought  into  conflict  there  can  be 
no  quarters,  one  or  the  other  must  yield  and 
finally  succumb.  A  similar  law  prevails  as 
to  the  spiritual  chemistry  of  Bible  ethics,  when 
applied  to  this  question.  The  word  which  first 
came  down  from  heaven  in  the  days  of  the  great 
Apostle,  having  descended  through  the  ages,  is 
still  ringing  in  our  ears  to-day : — 

"Be  not  unequally  yoked  with  unbelievers: 
For  what  fellowship  have  righteousness  and  in- 
iquity? or  what  communion  hath  light  with  dark- 
ness? And  what  concord  hath  Christ  with  Be- 
lial? or  what  portion  hath  a  believer  with  an 
unbeliever?  and  what  agreement  hath  a  temple 
of  God  with  idols?  for  ye  are  a  temple  of  the 
living  God;  even  as  God  said,  I  will  dwell  in 
them,  and  walk  in  them ;  and  I  will  be  their  God, 
and  they  shall  be  My  people.  Wherefore  come 
ye  out  from  among  them,  and  be  ye  separate, 
saith  the  Lord,  And  touch  no  unclean  thing ;  And 
I  will  receive  you.  And  will  be  to  you  a  Father, 
And  ye  shall  be  to  me  sons  and  daughters,  saith 
the  Lord  Almighty." 

In  the  discussion  of  this  fundamental  subject 
we  will  strive  to  attain  to  the  utmost  simplicity 
and  plainness.    The  Lord  Jehovah  at  one  time, 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


15 


instructed  His  prophet  to  write  the  lesson  on 
tables,  as  did  the  Angel  of  the  Covenant  on 
Mount  Sinai,  and  make  it  plain  that  the  person 
running  in  the  world's  dizzy  whirl  of  business 
might  be  able  to  read  the  same.  Following  this 
suggestion,  we  humbly  and  prayerfully  entreat 
that  God's  great  army  of  Christian  workers  may 
carefully  ponder  the  following  definitions  and 
statements  of  principles,  together  with  the  suc- 
ceeding diagram : 

Christian  Government — is  the  science  or  polity 
that  gives  direction  to  matters  of  legislation,  ad- 
ministration and  judiciary  decisions,  touching 
the  domestic,  the  educational,  the  industrial,  the 
moral  and  social  interests  of  the  people  of  a  Com- 
monwealth, State  or  Nation,  in  accordance  with 
the  ''Golden  Rule,"  the  "Sermon  on  the 
Mount"  and  the  "Teaching  of  the  Decalogue." 

It  is  in  conflict  with  the  mind  of  Christian 
Citizenship  and  antagonistic  to  the  Christian 
Basis  of  Government,  to  continue  to  tolerate  leg- 
islative enactments  which  are  found  to  be  either 
in  direct  or  indirect  conflict  with  the  Law  of 
Christ. 

A  Christian  Citizen  can  never  be  justified  in 
assuming  an  official  position,  where  in  the  inau- 
gural oath,  calling  upon  Almighty  God  for  as- 


i6  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


sistance,  he  is  sworn  to  administer  iniquitous 
measures  which  are  in  direct  conflict  with  the 
Law  of  Christ. 

All  legislative  enactments  which  are  found 
to  be  in  perfect  conformity  to  the  Law  of 
Christ  are  laws  in  fact,  whilst  all  statutory 
enactments  which  are  found  to  be  in  conflict 
with  the  same  are  not  laws  at  all.  They  are 
Infamous  Measures. 

All  legislative  enactments  which  are  in  per- 
fect conformity  to  the  Law  of  Christ,  when  exe- 
cuted, administered  and  enforced  will  result  in 
"The  greatest  good  to  the  greatest  number;" 
whilst  all  those  measures  which  are  in  conflict 
with  the  Law  of  Christ  will  result  in  the  great- 
est ill  to  the  greatest  number. 

All  legislative  enactments  which  are  found  to 
be  in  perfect  conformity  to  the  Law  of  Christ, 
when  executed,  administered  and  enforced,  will 
not  only  tend  to  promote  that  which  is  right,  but 
will  of  necessity  prohibit  that  which  is  wrong; 
whilst  all  those  measures  which  are  in  direct  con- 
flict with  the  Law  of  Christ,  when  executed,  ad- 
ministered and  enforced,  will  not  only  tend  to  pro- 
mote that  which  is  wrong,  but  will  of  necessity 
prohibit  that  which  is  right.  This  principle  is 
in  perfect  conformity  to  Blackstone's  Definition 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


17 


of  Law,  viz.,  "Law  is  that  which  is  enacted  by 
the  supreme  power  of  the  State,  commending 
that  which  is  right  and  prohibiting  that  which  is 
wrong."  It  is  also  in  perfect  conformity  with  his 
other  valuable  statement,  viz.,  "That  is  not  law 
which  conflicts  with  the  Law  of  God."  More- 
over, it  is  also  in  perfect  conformity  with  the 
mind  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States, 
as  is  expressed  in  the  following  language  (after 
calling  to  mind  the  more  recent  declaration  of 
the  Supreme  Court,)  that,  'This  is  a  Christian 
Nation:"  our  minds  naturally  revert  back  to  a 
former  glorious  declaration  of  this  same  great 
tribunal  that,  "No  legislature  can  bargain  away 
the  public  health,  the  public  morals  and  the  pub- 
lic safety.  The  people  themselves  may  not  do  it, 
much  less  their  servants.  Government  was  or- 
ganized with  a  view  to  their  preservation,  and 
cannot  divest  itself  of  the  power  to  provide  for 
them." 

The  Officers  of  State,  in  a  Christian  Republic, 
no  matter  what  their  party  affiliations  may  be, 
should  be  made  to  understand  that  they  are  the 
public  servants;  and  that  all  acts  of  legislation, 
administration  and  judiciary  decisions  shall  be  in 
perfect  conformity  to  the  Law  of  Christ,  as  pro- 
vided for  in  a  Christian  basis  of  government. 


i8  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


The  officer  or  citizen  in  a  Christian  Repub- 
lic, who  will  barter  or  sell  the  righteous  and  in- 
dependent use  of  his  franchise,  or  who  will  pur- 
chase the  franchise  of  another,  should  either  be 
deported  or  disfranchised  for  life. 

May  "The  True  Light,  which  lighteth  every 
man  that  cometh  into  the  world,**  shine  upon 
these  pages,  and  enable  the  author  to  so  indeli- 
bly write  the  lesson  on  the  mind  of  every  reader, 
that  it  may  serve  God's  unerring  purpose  and 
never  be  forgotten.  Selah  *  *  *  Pause  *  *  * 
Pray  *  *  *  Consider.  We  are  now  prepared  to 
enter  upon  a  careful  study  of  the  following  Dia- 
gram. 


iiiiii 


!!!!!| 

■iilii 


IjirMisJlio^^ 

I  THE  NATION  I. 
J    JUDICIARY  I 


iiiiji 
iiiiii 
iiiiii 
iiiiji 
III 

ililli 

iiiiii 
iiiiii 


O 
O 


5 

-J 

o 

-M 

+-> 
CO 


V 
•0 

0 

(0  £ 
£ 


1-:] 

t. 

4) 

■0 
h 

o 

0 

(0  £ 

Jh 

CO 

O 

£ 

h 

^   THE  CONSTITUTION    |  H 

•Vi ■■ r/j'.  mmm 

^          Law  of  The  Second  Order  ^      JV;  ||| 

i  I  THE  DIVINE  LAW  I  f| 

iiiiii   t            Law  of  The  First  Order            J  ^ 

iiiiii    ^  !^  iiiiii 

ill   I      I      >l              IV      I  V  VI   Vli   VIII    IX  X  5!  Ill 

|I|      Rights  of  God  |   Rights  of  Man  |  ||i 

iililS  =::.:  = 

■ijiiBiMiaHiiBniiiuiiaimiiiiiBiiiiiiMifliiiiaiiiiBiiiiaiiiiB 

iuuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiBiiiiaiiiiaiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiitiiaiiiiBiiiii 


CHAPTER  III. 


RELATIONSHIP  OF  DIFFERENT  ORDERS  OR  KINDS  OF 
LAW. 

In  a  careful  analysis  of  this  diagram,  we  will 
strive  not  only  to  attain  to  a  demonstration  of 
the  Christian  Basis  of  Government,  but  we  will 
also  labor  to  furnish  to  our  readers  an  accurate 
analysis  of  the  relationship  of  the  different  or- 
ders or  kinds  of  law  as  it  exists  in  God's  plan, 
and  as  it  will  be  received  by  all  nations,  peoples, 
kindreds  and  tongues,  "when  the  Lord  Jesus, 
shall  take  unto  Him  His  great  power  and  reign." 
The  genius  of  the  skilled  mechanic,  as  to  method 
of  procedure  in  the  construction  of  the  edifice  or 
temple,  beginning  with  the  foundation  and  fin- 
ishing with  the  dome,  in  accordance  with  law ;  is 
but  faintly  suggestive  of  the  more  delicate  laws 
of  the  spiritual  mechanics,  which  are  to  be  em- 
ployed by  the  disciples  of  Christ  in  the  establish- 
ment of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  upon  earth. 

Beginning  at  the  bottom  of  this  diagram  we 
will  now  bound  its  lower  section,  and  after  read- 
ing all  that  is  written  therein  we  announce  the 
same  to  be: 

20 


M';  .e  ''G  '  :K'<  aiii!B::i!B'; 


B.iiia 


iiiiii 
■!!!!! 


iiiiii 


II  i  THE  DIVINE   LAW  |  11 

ir      i  i 

iiiiia   X  Law  of  The  First  Order  ^  11 

=;=::=    ^  ■iii  " 

III  I  I  11  III  IV  !  V  VI  VII  Vill  IX  X  9.  I  I 
III  &  Rights  of  God  |  Rights  of  Man  |  !|| 

|!!!l^nH!!l'!!!!!!!!!!!'!!!!!!!!'!'n!!!H'!ll!!!l!''!H''!H''!HII*lll'! 
ii!i:iii;iaitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!l!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiBiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiBi 


22 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


LAW  OF  THE  FIRST  ORDER. 

The  First  Table  of  the  Law  is  the  Perfect  Bill 
of  God's  rights ;  and  the  Second  Table  of  the  Law 
is  the  Perfect  Bill  of  Human  Rights.  In  reference 
to  the  First  Table  of  the  Law,  the  devout  Chris- 
tian will  be  ready  to  concede  that  there  is  no 
sphere  of  existence  to  which  the  rights  of  God 
do  not  extend.  Jehova-Jesus, — known  as  the 
Angel  of  the  Covenant  in  the  days  of  Moses, — is 
the  Divinely  Appointed  King.  He  is  seated  upon 
His  great  throne  in  the  heavens;  He  is  the  au- 
thor of  this  law ;  He  is  the  Mediatorial  Channel 
of  all  righteousness ;  He  is  the  irresistible  dispen- 
ser of  all  providences.  His  dominion  is  over 
angelic  hosts,  and  over  the  spirits  of  just  men 
made  perfect.  His  authority  extends  to  all  crea- 
tures of  earth,  to  every  vicissitude  of  the  animal, 
vegetable  and  mineral  kingdoms.  It  extends  to 
all  things  animate  and  inanimate,  material  and 
immaterial.  It  reaches  to  the  lowest  depths  of 
hell,  and  binds  with  everlasting  chains  all  devils 
and  the  souls  of  unredeemed  men.  We  know 
that  Queen  Victoria  had  a  long,  glorious  and 
peaceful  reign;  but  she  never  dispensed  a  provi- 
dence resulting  in  that  peace.  She  was  but  a 
feeble  instrument  in  the  providential  administra- 
tion of  this  King.    We  are  addressing  persons 


AND  THE  SABBATH, 


23 


in  the  mortal  state,  however,  and  it  is  our  in- 
tense desire  to  indehbly  impress  upon  the  mind 
of  every  rational  creature  of  earth,  the  important 
lesson  of  man's  accountability  to  Christ  and  His 
Law.  We  would  especially  urge  upon  all  those 
who  love  God  with  perfect  love,  that  they  do 
strive  to  keep  the  First  Table  of  the  Law  in- 
violate. We  beseech  all  men,  moreover,  that  they 
hold  themselves  as  under  law,  and  accountable 
to  Christ  in  every  sphere  of  human  life  and  ac- 
tivity. We  would  impress  all  men  with  the  fact 
that  it  is  their  imperative  duty  as  well  as  their 
highest  privilege  to  love  God  with  all  their  heart, 
soul,  strength  and  mind  all  the  time  and  every- 
where. And  men  cannot  love  God  with  such  su- 
preme affection,  unless  they  do  willingly  strive 
to  keep  the  First  Table  of  the  Law. 

The  All-Wise  Law  Giver  arranged  the  princi- 
ples of  the  Decalogue  in  a  perfectly  logical  and 
natural  order.  The  arrangement  is  the  unmis- 
takable manifestation  of  the  wisdom  of  God  for 
the  promotion  of  duty  and  the  prevention  of  sin. 
The  order  of  the  arrangement  may  neither  be 
transposed  nor  reversed.  Whosoever  would 
change  the  Divine  order  will  directly  prove  his 
own  fallibility  in  tampering  with  the  wisdom  of 
the  Infallible.    The  First  Commandment  is  first 


24 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


in  order  and  first  in  place,  because  it  moves  the 
Christian  father  and  mother  to  direct  the  first 
dawning  of  the  intelHgence  of  the  child  to  the  one 
living  and  true  God,  as  the  supreme  object  of 
love,  devotion  and  adoration.  This  is  God's 
method  of  anchorage  to  the  succession  of  Chris- 
tian generations,  to  keep  them  from  drifting 
into  secularism  or  back  into  paganism.  The 
Angel  of  the  Covenant  knew  full  well  that  if  the 
children  could  be  instructed  from  generation  to 
generation  to  know,  love,  adore  and  continually 
worship  the  three  one  God,  it  would  not  only  re- 
sult in  the  preservation  of  Christian  civilization 
from  the  ruinous  and  blasting  curse  of  secular- 
ism ;  but  it  would  continue  to  hold  a  once  enlight- 
ened people  from  lapsing  again  into  paganism. 
If  we  may  thus  be  quickened  and  moved  by  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  train  the  children  of 
the  coming  generations  in  accordance  with  the 
teaching  of  the  First  Commandment,  it  will  ren- 
der them  forever  secure  against  the  violations  of 
the  Second  Commandment.  With  grace  in  the 
heart,  and  with  such  training,  the  children  of  the 
King  will  never  be  found  making  idols,  neither 
will  they  be  found  bowing  down  to  worship  the 
same.  When  all  the  people  shall  thus  be  schooled 
into  loyal  obedience  to  the  First  and  Second 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


25 


Commandments  they  will  then  willingiy  strive  to 
keep  the  Third  Commandment ;  and  joy  be  to  the 
world,  when  the  blatant  voice  of  the  vulgar 
and  the  profane  shall  be  hushed  in  all  our  bor- 
ders! O  happy  day;  when  the  names,  titles,  at- 
tributes, ordinances,  works,  and  worship  of  God 
shall  come  to  be  revered  by  all  men  in  the  com- 
ing higher  Christian  civilization!  If  by  a  mira- 
cle of  grace,  we  may  thus  be  enabled  to  school 
all  men  everywhere  and  all  the  time  from  the  su- 
preme motive  of  love  to  God  and  Christ,  to  keep 
the  First,  Second  and  Third  Commandments  in 
exact  accordance  with  the  Divine  order ;  we  will 
joyfully  discover  that  they  have  already  been 
schooled  into  loyal  and  perfect  obedience  to  the 
Fourth  Commandment.  They  will  ever  be  on 
exhibition.  *  *  *  "They  will  be  living  epistles 
known  and  read  of  all  men."  *  *  *  They  will 
be  the  living  verities  of  the  wisdom  of  God  in 
thus  schooling  men  to  "Remember  the  Sabbath 
day  to  keep  it  holy,"  in  harmony  with  the  exact 
order  of  the  arrangement  of  the  principles  of  the 
First  Table  of  the  Law,  in  the  impartation  of 
the  lessons  that  begin  with  the  First  Command- 
ment and  end  with  the  Fourth.  This  is  the  logi- 
cal natural  method  of  the  teaching.  It  is  the  God 
given  method  of  schooling  men  into  true  loyalty 


26  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


to  Christ  and  the  Sabbath.  Moreover,  if  we  may 
thus  succeed  in  bringing  all  men  into  perfect 
obedience  to  the  First  Table  of  the  Law,  they 
will  never  cease  to  own,  and  publicly  recognize 
the  Mediatorial  Authority  of  King  Jesus.  They 
will  then  be  willing  in  every  sphere  of  life  and  ac- 
tivity to  recognize  the  perpetual  and  binding  au- 
thority of  the  matchless  and  unerring  Law  of 
Christ.  O  happy  Day,  when  such  a  reformation 
shall  have  been  achieved !  The  Christian  people 
will  then  unite  in  alleluiahs  of  praise  to  the  great 
Law  Giver  for  the  efficacious  advantages  that  will 
ever  be  accruing  to  an  advancing  civilization,  from 
the  constantly  increasing  number  of  persons  who 
are  being  schooled  into  due  respect  to  the  perfect 
bill  of  God's  rights,  as  contained  in  the  First 
Table  of  the  Law. 

^  ^  ^  5|j 

A  certain  lawyer  once  came  to  Jesus  desiring 
to  assist  the  Jewish  Rabbis  and  Pharisees  in  en- 
trapping Him  in  His  language,  that  they  might 
arraign  Him  before  Caesar.  In  this  attempt  the 
lawyer  asked  the  Saviour  the  fundamental  ques- 
tion. 

"And  behold,  a  certain  lav/yer  stood  up  and 
tempted  Him,  saying,  Master,  what  shall  I  do  to 
inherit  eternal  life  ?  And  He  said  unto  him,  What 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


37 


is  written  in  the  law?  how  readest  thou?  And 
he  answering  said,  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and 
with  all  thy  strength,  and  with  all  thy  mind ;  and 
they  neighbor  as  thyself.  And  He  said  unto 
him,  Thou  hast  answered  right;  This  do,  and 
thou  shalt  live." 

The  answer  of  the  lawyer  was  given  in  a 
single  sentence  containing  two  propositions.  It 
was  the  embodiment  of  the  entire  teaching  of 
the  First  and  Second  Tables  of  the  Law.  Love  to 
God  and  love  to  man  is  all  that  we  find  in  the 
Decalogue,  and  it  is  all  that  we  find  in  the  Gospel. 
Thus  the  Law  is  merged  into  the  Gospel  and  love 
is  the  fulfillment  of  both.  Jesus  knew  full  well 
that  if  we  could  prevail  upon  all  men  to  love  God 
supremely,  they  would  strive  earnestly  to  keep 
the  principles  of  the  First  Table  of  the  Law,  in 
the  exact  order  of  their  occurrence.  He  knew 
also,  that  if  we  could  prevail  upon  all  men  to 
love  their  neighbors  as  themselves,  they  would 
strive  to  keep  the  commandments  in  the  Second 
Table  of  the  Law,  in  the  exact  order  of  their  oc- 
currence. In  a  careful  study  of  the  Second 
Table  of  the  Law  we  discover  again  the  infinite 
wisdom  of  the  Divine  arrangement.  As  it  is, 
regarding  the  arrangement  of  the  principles  in 


28 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


the  First  Table  of  the  Law,  so  it  is  regarding 
the  arrangement  of  the  principles  in  the  Second 
Table.  The  order  of  the  arrangement  may 
neither  be  reversed,   transposed  or  displaced. 

The  great  Law  Giver  knew  with  what  principle 
to  begin,  and  with  what  principle  to  end  in  each, 
for  the  better  promotion  of  duty  and  for  the  bet- 
ter prevention  of  sin.  Tn  the  study  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Second  Table  of  the  Law,  the 
place  to  begin  is  in  the  family,  and  the  time  to 
begin  is  with  childhood.  It  was  the  plainly  evi- 
dent purpose  of  the  Great  Law  Giver  that  Chris- 
tian parents  should  instruct  their  children  first  of 
all  to  love  God,  the  Great  Parent  of  all,  su- 
premely ;  and  after  that  to  love  father  and  mother 
and  sister  and  brother  with  true  filial  affection 
resulting  in  reverential  obedience.  The  embodi- 
ment of  this  truth  is  seen  both  in  the  spirit  and 
letter  of  the  Fifth  Commandment,  which  is  the 
First  Commandment  in  the  Second  Table  of  the 
Law,  as  well  as  the  First  Commandment  with  a 
promise  resulting  from  obedience.  It  is  in  the 
family  that  children  must  have  imparted  to  them 
the  first  lessons  of  submission  to  the  rightful  au- 
thority of  their  superiors.  Children  must  be  in- 
structed from  the  standpoint  of  filial  love  and 
obedience,  to  reverence  father  and  mother  and 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


29 


sister  and  brother,  in  order  that  they  may  respect 
the  rights  of  superiors,  inferiors  and  equals  in 
the  larger  sphere  of  citizenship  upon  which  they 
are  destined  soon  to  enter.  This  is  God's  method 
in  the  evolution  of  the  social  conscience,  in 
schooling  men  into  respectful  obedience  to  right- 
ful authority.  They  are  thus  prepared  for  enter- 
ing upon  the  larger  sphere  of  industrial  life  and 
citizenship.  They  are  thus  trained  to  respect  the 
life  and  property  rights  of  others.  They  are  thus 
educated  away  from  secularism,  scepticism,  athe- 
ism, paganism  and  covetousness  which  is  idol- 
atry. They  are  thus  educated  away  from  an- 
archy. Indeed  this  is  the  only  way  to  extirpate 
anarchy.  This  is  the  God-given  method  of  pro- 
tecting a  man's  pocketbook,  and  when  you  protect 
a  man's  pocketbook,  you  protect  his  life.  If  we 
may  thus  succeed  in  educating  the  children  of  the 
successive  generations  to  respect  God  and  pa- 
rental authority  in  accordance  with  the  First  Com- 
mandment in  each  table  of  the  law,  we  shall  have 
succeeded  in  schooling  them  into  loyal  obedience 
to  every  other  commandment  in  the  Decalogue. 
Christian  fathers  and  mothers,  as  you  love  home 
and  country,  we  plead  that  you  get  back  to  the 
old-time  method  of  training  your  children  in  the 
nurture,  fear  and  admonition  of  the  Lord;  and 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


that  in  the  adding  of  "Une  upon  Hne,  and  precept 
upon  precept,"  the  children  of  the  entire  nation 
may  speedily  be  brought  into  due  respect  to  pa- 
rental authority.  The  miraculous  exercise  of  the 
grace  of  God  in  the  hearts  of  men,  will  eventu- 
'  ally  bring  the  world  into  loyal  obedience  to  the 
Law  of  Christ  as  outlined  in  the  Ten  Command- 
ments, and,  such  consummation  of  all  right  teach- 
ing will  result  in  the  perfection  of  the  domestic, 
the  educational,  the  industrial,  the  moral  and  so- 
cial welfare  of  all  the  people.  The  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  can  require  no  more  than  this  concerning 
the  inhabitants  of  this  world,  and  the  Christian 
citizenship  of  this  entire  country  should  demand 
no  less.  We  plead  for  such  an  evolution  of  the 
social  conscience.  We  plead  for  the  universal 
recognition  of  the  Perfect  Law  of  Liberty  in  the 
paramount  interests  of  universal  manners  and 
morals.  We  plead  for  such  universal  recognition 
of  the  Law  of  Christ  in  the  interests  of  civil  de- 
portment ;  for,  no  man  ever  yet  committed  either 
a  civil  or  criminal  offense  which  did  not  result 
either  in  a  direct  or  indirect  violation  of  one  or 
more  principles  of  the  Decalogue.  Thus,  we  in- 
troduce to  the  world  the  incontrovertible — 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


31 


MAXIM. 

It  is  absolutely  impossible  for  a  citizen  in  any 
country,  under  any  form  of  government,  ever  to 
commit  a  civil  or  criminal  offense  which  does  not 
result  either  in  a  direct  or  indirect  violation  of  one 
or  more  principles  of  the  Decalogue.  *  *  * 
Hence,  the  Decalogue  is  the  Christian  Basis  of 
Government.  In  its  First  Table  it  is  the  Perfect 
Bill  of  God's  rights.  In  its  Second  Table  it  is 
the  Perfect  Bill  of  Human  Rights.  This  being 
true,  it  is  the  duty  of  every  Christian  to  labor  with 
untiring  zeal  and  energy  to  arouse  the  entire 
world  of  believers  to  an  adequate  comprehension 
of  the  universal  scope  of  the  meaning  of  the  peti- 
tion in  the  Lord's  Prayer  : — 

THY  KINGDOM  COME, 

and  thereby  lift  every  interest  of  humanity  nearer 
to  the  throne  of  the  world's  Mediatorial  King — 
our  interceding  High  Priest.  Such  extended  en- 
deavor would  speedily  remove  the  curse  entailed 
by  sin.  Such  marvelous  working  of  the  Lord's 
leaven  would  soon  restore  to  our  world  the  para- 
dise of  God.  Such  endeavor  would  encore  the 
angels,  who  sang  at  the  first  advent  of  Christ,  to 
sing  the  same  enrapturing  song  as  prophecy  ful- 
filled :  "Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth 


32 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


peace,  good  will  to  men."  When  this  glorious 
dawning  of  the  Millennial  Age  shall  begin  to 
burst  upon  our  world  with  the  coming  flood  of 
light  above  the  brightness  of  the  sun;  the  New 
Jerusalem  will  not  then  have  so  far  to  descend; 
when  the  world  of  temporal,  moral,  spiritual  and 
eternal  interests  borne  upon  her  rejuvenated 
bosom,  shall  have  so  far  ascended.  "Truth  will 
then  meet  mercy  and  they  will  mutually  kiss  each 
other."  In  that  glorious  day  the  redeemed 
masses  being  infused  with  the  Spirit  of  the 
Father  and  the  Son,  will  render  willing  and  loyal 
obedience  to  every  requirement  of  the  Law  of 
Christ  in  every  sphere  of  life  and  activity  for  a 
thousand  years  at  once.  Could  we  arrive  at  such 
beatific  conditions  in  a  single  hour,  the  fullest  in- 
tention of  the  petition  in  the  Lord's  prayer,  "Thy 
Kingdom  Come,"  would  be  fully  realized  in  the 
same  time.  We  must,  therefore,  conclude  that 
the  First  Table  of  the  Law  is  the  Perfect  Bill 
of  God's  Rights;  and  the  Second  Table  of  the 
Law  is  The  Perfect  Bill  of  Human  Rights;  and 
the  Decalogue  in  the  wide  range  of  its  meaning 
is 

LAW  OF  THE  FIRST  ORDER. 

It  is  law  of  the  first  order;  it  is  the  product 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


33 


of  the  mind  of  a  first  rate  being  and  it  never  can 
be  amended.  It  is  a  perfect  code  of  law ;  it  has 
continued  for  nearly  four  thousand  years  and  no 
mere  human  intellect  has  ever  yet  been  able  to 
attach  a  single  amendment. 

It  is  narrated  that  a  Christian  gentleman  once 
approached  an  infidel  judge  with  the  questions : 
"Judge,  have  you  ever  studied  the  Decalogue,  as 
to  the  wisdom  of  the  order  of  the  arrangement  of 
its  principles  and  the  teaching  therein  set  forth? 
Have  you  not  discovered  that  it  is  a  perfect  code 
of  law ;  that  it  is  law  of  the  first  order ;  that  it  is 
the  product  of  an  All-wise  Mind,  and  that  it  never 
can  be  amended?" 

The  Judge  replied :  "Sir,  I  have  never  entered 
into  a  careful  analysis  of  the  Decalogue,  either 
as  to  the  wisdom  of  the  arrangement  of  the  or- 
der of  its  principles  or  the  teaching  therein  set 
forth.  Yet,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  it  is  not  the 
product  of  an  All-wise  Mind,  and  that  it  is  not  a 
perfect  code  of  law." 

The  Christian  man  replied :  "Judge,  if  the  Dec- 
alogue be  not  a  perfect  code  of  law,  and  if  it  be  not 
the  product  of  an  All-wise  Mind,  you  should  be 
able  to  amend  it." 

The  Judge,  presumptuous  as  are  all  Atheists, 
replied:  "Sir,  I  believe  T  can  amend  the  Deca- 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


logue.  I  will  enlarge  upon  its  teaching,  and  if 
you  will  return  after  three  days,  I  trust  I  shall  be 
able  to  present  you  with  an  improved  Decalogue." 

It  is  narrated  that  the  Judge  studied  the  ques- 
tion during  the  three  days  with  all  the  powers  of 
his  mighty  intellect,  looking  at  the  principles  of 
the  Decalogue  one  by  one.  First  in  the  order  of 
their  occurrence,  then  from  a  reversed  order, 
then  from  a  repeatedly  transposed  order,  and 
back  again  to  the  order  of  their  occurrence.  For- 
ward and  backward,  from  every  side  and  from 
every  point  of  view,  he  did  search  for  a  vulner- 
able point  of  attack  until  the  time  limit  was  ex- 
hausted, but  it  was  all  of  no  avail. 

At  the  appointed  time  the  Christian  man  re- 
turned and  inquired :  "Judge,  have  you,  in  the  ap- 
plication of  your  new  doctrine  of  expansion,  suc- 
ceeded in  amending  the  Decalogue?" 

The  Judge  in  honest  confession  replied:  "Sir, 
I  have  failed  to  make  any  improvement.  I  be- 
lieve I  have  impaired  the  law  at  every  point  in 
which  I  have  touched  it." 

The  Christian  man  answered :  "Well,  then. 
Judge,  do  you  concede  that  the  Decalogue  is  the 
product  of  an  All-wise  Mind,  that  it  is  a  perfect 
code  of  law,  and  that  it  never  can  be  amended?" 

The  Judge  replied :  "No,  sir,  I  am  not  yet 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


35 


ready  so  to  yield  the  question.  I  am  now  of  the 
opinion  that  I  can  improve  upon  the  Decalogue 
by  putting  its  teaching  into  smaller  compass." 

The  Christian  man  answered :  "How  long  time 
do  you  desire  now,  Judge,  in  which  to  accom- 
plish the  task?'* 

The  Judge  replied :  "Give  me  three  days  again. 
Come  back  to  me  at  the  end  of  three  days,  and  I 
will  hope  to  be  able  to  present  you  with  a  copy 
of  an  improved  Decalogue." 

The  Christian  man  returned  at  the  end  of  the 
second  probation  and  inquired :  "Judge,  have  you 
succeeded  in  the  application  of  the  theory  of  com- 
pression in  amending  the  Decalogue,  either  as  to 
the  wisdom  of  the  arrangement  of  its  principles, 
or  the  teaching  therein  set  forth?" 

Again,  the  Judge  made  honest  confession, 
which  was  as  the  dew  of  Mount  Hermon  to  his 
soul.  He  replied:  "I  do  humbly  confess  that 
I  have  utterly  failed  again,  at  every  point  at 
which  I  have  touched  the  Decalogue  for  its  im- 
provement. But  I  have  made  a  discovery  of  in- 
estimable value  in  a  progressive  series  of  facts. 
I  have  weighed  the  important  question  from 
every  available  standpoint,  as  I  have  studied  no 
other  subject;  I  vaguely  prayed  for  light;  I  did 
the  best  I  could ;  I  have  discovered  that  the  Dec- 


36 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


alogue  is  the  product  of  an  All-wise  Mind ;  it  is 
the  Perfect  Law  of  Liberty ;  it  is  a  perfect  code  of 
law  and  never  can  be  amended,  either  by  expan- 
sion or  compression ;  it  is  designed  for  the  promo- 
tion of  all  duty,  and  the  prevention  of  all  sin; 
there  is  a  God ;  He  is  the  author  of  the  Moral 
Code ;  He  is  the  Creator  of  all  things ;  He  is  the 
Redeemer  of  men;  He  is  my  God  and  Saviour." 

*  *  *  'Traise  God  from  whom  all  blessings 
flow!"  shouted  the  Christian  man.  *  *  * 

A  similar  course  of  study  on  the  part  of  all 
unbelievers  should  result  in  freeing  a  sin-tossed 
world  from  the  blasting,  withering  curse  of  Athe- 
ism. It  might,  indeed,  prove  the  shortest  road  to 
conversion. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


LAW    OF    THE    FIRST    ORDER    CONTINUED  WITH 
SPECIAL   REFERENCE   TO   CIVIL  AND 
CRIMINAL  OFFENSES. 

The  question  now  evolves  itself  upon  us  to  con- 
sider the  matter  of  civil  and  criminal  offenses. 
The  Christian  Citizen  must  eventually  come  into 
clear  possession  of  the  fact,  as  previously  ex- 
pressed in  the  Maxim :  That  all  civil  and  crimi- 
nal offenses  must  logically  and  naturally  result 
either  direct  or  indirect  violations  of  the  princi- 
ples of  the  Decalogue.  Even  a  partial  enumera- 
tion of  civil  and  criminal  offenses  should  prove 
entirely  sufficient  to  establish  in  the  mind  of 
every  reader  the  truth  of  the  Maxim. 

Does  the  offense  consist  in  the  pagan  woman, 
casting  her  new-born  babe  into  the  River  Nile,  or 
into  the  River  Hudson  in  devotion  to  her  idol? 
It  is  in  violation  of  the  First,  Second  and  Sixth 
Commandments.  Does  it  consist  in  covetous- 
ness,  the  well-developed  modern  form  of  idola- 
try? It  is  in  violation  of  the  First,  Second  and 
Tenth  Commandments ;  and  in  a  still  more  ag- 

37 


38  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


gravated  form  it  may  lead  its  possessor  into  vio- 
lations of  more  than  half  the  principles  in  the 
Decalogue.  Does  it  include  vulgar  jests,  slang- 
phrases,  profane  swearing  and  open  blasphemy? 
It  is  irreverence  to  God  as  set  forth  in  the  First 
and  Second  Commandments;  it  is  in  direct  vio- 
lation of  the  Third  and  Seventh  Commandments ; 
and  like  the  muffled  rumblings  of  volcanic  action 
under  great  agitation,  it  is  liable  at  any  moment 
to  lava  a  whole  community  with  the  immorali- 
ties that  flow  from  depraved  hearts  through  the 
blatant  mouths  of  the  defiled  craters.  Do  we  dis- 
cover its  fermentations  in  the  so-called  Sunday 
sports  and  amusements,  such  as  card-playing, 
gambling,  excursions,  the  ball-room,  theater-go- 
ing, drunkenness,  licentiousness,  et  al.,  etc.?  It 
is  in  positive  violation  of  the  Fourth  Command- 
ment,— and  it  may  lead  its  unsanctified  victims  to 
open  and  flagrant  violations  of  all  the  principles 
in  the  Decalogue  in  a  single  day: — and  pave  the 
way  for  the  dooming  of  many  of  them  to  the 
State's  prison  and  to  perdition  in  the  same  time. 
Does  it  lead  men  of  the  baser  sort,  to  indulge  in  fla- 
grant violations  of  the  wholesome  laws  of  social 
purity  and  manners  ?  Like  sons  of  Belial,  do  they 
venture  to  outrage  the  simplicity  and  confiding 
integrity  of  childhood?  Do  they  dare  to  sacrifice 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


39 


upon  the  altar  of  lust  the  modest  and  blushing 
honor  of  Womanhood?  It  is  in  infamous  viola- 
tion of  the  Seventh  Commandment.  Does  it  con- 
sist in  ungovernable  passion,  resulting  in  direct 
assault  and  battery?  It  is  rankling  murder  at 
heart,  and  is  in  violation  of  the  Sixth  Command- 
ment. Is  it  discovered  in  the  conduct  of  men,  re- 
sulting in  petty  or  grand  larceny  of  felonous  na- 
ture? It  is  in  violation  of  the  Eighth  and  Tenth 
Commandments  and  often  leads  to  direct  viola- 
tions of  the  Sixth  and  Ninth  Commandments. 
Does  the  offense  consist  in  suicide  or  homicide? 
It  is  in  violation  of  the  Sixth  Commandment. 
Thus  we  may  encompass  the  entire  catalogue  of 
civil  and  criminal  offenses,  and  we  are  forced  to 
accept  the  truth  of  the — 

MAXIM. 

It  is  absolutely  impossible  for  a  citizen  in  any 
country  under  any  form  of  government,  ever  to 
commit  a  civil  or  criminal  offense,  which  does  not 
result  either  in  a  direct  or  indirect  violation  of 
one  or  more  principles  of  the  Decalogue.  Hence 
the  Decalogue  is 

THE  CHRISTIAN  BASIS  OF  GOVERNMENT. 

It  is  not  only  the  Perfect  Bill  of  God's  Rights ; 
but  it  is  the  Perfect  Bill  of  Human  Rights  as 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


well.  It  is  not  only  the  schoolmaster  to  train  the 
vulgar,  the  profane,  the  ungodly,  the  socialist  and 
the  anarchist  to  civil  conduct  and  manners;  but 
it  is  the  forerunner  of  the  Gospel  to  bring  them 
to  Christ.  But  to  those  of  us  who  are  led  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,  we  are  not  under  the  law  as  a  cove- 
nant of  works;  but  from  the  paramount  motive 
of  love  to  God  and  Christ,  we  are  obedient  unto 
the  law  as  of  grace.  We  desire,  in  passing,  to 
leave  this  truth  in  the  repository  of  the  mind 
of  every  reader:  If  a  person  will  break  any  one 
commandment  in  the  Decalogue,  in  the  sphere  of 
official  life  and  citizenship,  if  the  matter  comes  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  courts,  the  disturbance  en- 
suing therefrom  will  be  designated  either  as  a 
civil  or  criminal  offense. 

"Now  the  works  of  the  flesh  are  manifest, 
which  are  these,  fornication,  uncleanness,  lasclv- 
iousness,  idolatry,  sorcery,  enmities,  strife,  jeal- 
ousies, wraths,  factions,  divisions,  heresies,  envy- 
ings,  drunkenness,  revelings,  and  such  like:  of 
the  which  I  forewarn  you,  even  as  I  did  fore- 
warn you,  that  they  which  practice  such  things 
shall  not  inherit  the  Kingdom  of  God." 

And  we  may  add  without  fear  of  contradiction : 
Neither  are  they  worthy  of  citizenship  in  a  Chris- 
tian country.   But  "The  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love. 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


41 


joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  kindness,  goodness, 
faithfulness,  meekness,  temperance:  against  such 
there  is  no  law.  And  they  that  are  of  Christ 
Jesus  have  crucified  the  flesh  with  the  passions 
and  the  lusts  thereof.  If  we  live  by  the  Spirit, 
by  the  Spirit  let  us  also  walk." 

Such  persons  are  obedient  unto  law,  in  the 
spirit  of  the  Gospel  and  from  the  supreme  motive 
of  love  to  God  and  Christ:  and  in  the  important 
sphere  of  official  life  and  citizenship,  these  alone 
are  worthy  of  the  confidence  and  franchise  of  a 
Christian  people.  This  line  of  reasoning  brings 
us  into  intelligent  possession  of  the  praiseworthy 
motives  which  led  our  Puritan  Fathers  together 
with  our  higher  patriots  down  through  the  cen- 
turies, to  re-enact,  either  in  a  direct  or  indirect 
manner,  every  principle  of  The  Decalogue,  for  the 
promotion  and  the  protection  of  the  peace  and 
good  order  of  society.  Such  statutory  enactments 
should  be  protected  in  turn  and  rendered  forever 
secure,  by  being  made  to  rest  upon 

A  DEFINITE  AND  UNDENIABLE  CHRISTIAN  BASIS  OF 
GOVERNMENT. 

With  such  a  basis  of  government,  we  should 
be  able  to  maintain  as  constitutional  from  genera- 
tion to  generation  all  statutory  enactments  which 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


are  found  to  be  in  harmony  with  the  Law  of 
Christ,  and  at  the  same  time  we  should  be  able 
to  set  aside  as  unconstitutional  all  Statutory  en- 
actments which  are  found  to  be  in  conflict  with 
the  same.  Thus  the  Christian  citizenship  of  this 
greatest  of  all  republics  may  be  able  to  eliminate 
all  the  ills  that  afflict  society  and  speedily  bring 
to  pass  the  answer  to  the  prayer — 

THY  KINGDOM  COME. 

The  Law  of  Christ  *as  outlined  in  the  Deca- 
logue, in  its  two  tables,  expressing  the  Rights 
of  God  and  the  Rights  of  Man,  is  Supreme 
Organic  Law ;  it  is  Supreme  Independent ;  it  is 
Supreme  Perfect;  it  is  the  Perfect  Law  of  Lib- 
erty. It  is  Supreme  Organic:  because  its  author 
has  laid  the  foundation  of  every  righteous  institu- 
tion over  which  the  jurisprudence  of  law  exists. 
It  is  Supreme  Independent :  because  its  author  is 
the  only  self-existent  independent  law-giver  in 
the  universe.  It  is  Supreme  Perfect:  it  has  con- 
tinued for  nearly  four  thousand  years  and  no 
mere  human  intellect  has  ever  yet  been  able  to  at- 
tach a  single  amendment.  It  is  the  Perfect 
Law  of  Liberty:  because  when  perfectly  exe- 
cuted, administered  and  enforced  it  will  result  in 
the  highest  liberty  to  all.    And  speaking  rever- 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


43 


ently:  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ — known  in  the  be- 
ginning as  the  Word,  and  at  the  time  of  the  giv- 
ing of  the  Law  as  the  Great  I  Am, — or  the  Angel 
of  The  Covenant — is  so  perfect  in  all  that  He  does 
that  He  cannot  amend  this  law  Himself.  How 
important  then,  that  every  citizen  should  conform 
his  life  to  every  requirement  of  the  Law  of 
Christ,  for  the  general  good  of  all.  Supreme  Or- 
ganic Law  is  master  of  all  other  law;  and  all 
other  law  is  its  servant.  It  is  always  the  pre- 
rogative of  a  master  to  command  and  of  a  ser- 
vant to  obey.  Let  the  Christian  Citizenship  of 
this  great  Republic  secure  a  right  commander  in 
fundamental  law,  and  we  will  command  right, 
or  discover  the  reason  why  in  the  Supreme  Court. 


5;--:=n«tinfni)f mifiiimHiwiniBniiBnnfniiB'ii'Bi  vPiiiBiii'BiiiiiniiiiiiBiin^iii'^iiiiBfi.iirwiMiiiwHntff 
§;liiEiiiiiiiiiiuiiHuimiiMiiiiiiiiHi«uiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiBiiiiiiNiinii^  ~ 


eiHii 


■!!!!! 

Biiiii 
iitiil 


|!!!!| 


!!!!!! 
fiiiii 

iiiiii 

iiiili 


iiiiii 


iiiii  m 

iilii  iiina 

■iiiia  sii:ii 

ihi;  iiiiia 

■llin  iliiiH 

=!!!:=  iiiiia 

■iiiii  =11!:= 

i;:ii=  iiiiia 

BiiMB  E::::i 

=;iiii  iiiiia 

anna  =i::;= 

=!i!;i  iiiiia 
Biiiia 

=:!;;=  iiiiii 
Biiiif 

iiiiii 

!!!!!■ 

=;;;;=  anna 

!!!!!!  iiiiii 

II  THE  CONSTITUTION    |  l| 

^  Law  of  The  Second  Order  ||| 

I  THE  DIVINE  LAWli 

iiiiii  5  Law  of  The  First  Order  ? 

i:ii;=    ^      K  umm 

III  ^  I  II  ill  IV  I  V  VI  VII  VIII  IX  X  9  iiiii 
III  '£  Rights  of  God  j  Rights  of  Man  |  ||| 

iiiii    i»^^r#!)fer»5^'^yr*;^-^r*b-^r#^^'i^yr»^^  Iiiiii 

|m!B|1IIEmiBIIIIBIIllBllllBllliailllBIIM8llllBllilBnngllilBllllB 

iiHiBiiiiii!Hi.-i::ei  :'BMuiaii.;BiiiiB:i..B.:  <^::  .N.:i!e':i:i::^:ii.'i  s  .^«.ii:iiii.iii!!aii'>iii:'S.ii«ilUSii.!aimeuta,<iiM 


CHAPTER  V. 


LAW  OF  THE  SECOND  ORDER. 

In  the  further  consideration  and  pursuance  of 
the  study  of  this  diagram,  our  readers  will  dis- 
cover that  we  designate  the  Constitution  to  be 
Law  of  the  Second  Order,  by  making  it  to  rest 
upon  and  obey  its  master, 

LAW  OF  THE  FIRST  ORDER. 

At  this  point  in  the  discussion  the  advocates 
of  the  supremacy  of  the  Law  of  Christ  have  had 
many  a  conflict  with  the  enemies  of  righteous- 
ness,— the  secular  forces, — the  advocates  of 
Christless  government.  As  soon  as  we  announce 
that  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  is  Law 
of  the  Second  Order,  and  that  it  should  be  made 
to  recognize,  obey  and  rest  upon  its  master — Law 
of  the  First  Order — the  entire  confederacy  of 
Atheism  do  threaten  an  eruption  in  the  prostitu- 
tion of*  American  politics,  farther  reaching  and 
more  destructive  than  that  of  Mt.  Pelee.  Our 
position,  however,  is  incontrovertibly  secure.  The 
Constitution  of  the  State  and  Nation  is  Law  of 
the  Second  Order:  because  the  authors  thereof 


45 


46  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


were  second  rate  beings.  They  were  neither  self- 
existent  nor  independent.  They  were  not  all- 
wise.  They  begat  a  defective  instrument  as  a 
basis  of  government  for  the  American  people. 
We  know  that  they  were  not  all-wise,  for  the 
American  people  have  already  been  able  to  add 
fifteen  amendments,  and  all  within  the  time  limit 
of  less  than  One  Hundred  years.  Each  amend- 
ment, moreover,  is  a  concession  on  the  part  of  the 
American  people  that  the  framers  of  the  Con- 
stitution were  second  rate  beings.  It  is  a  con- 
cession that  they  were  not  all-wise,  and  that 
they  procured  for  us  a  constitution  not  adapted 
to  all  times  and  conditions.  There  is  ab- 
solutely but  one  method  by  which  creatures 
of  a  second  order  can  bring  the  product  of 
their  own  minds  up  to  the  standard  of  Law  of 
the  First  Order;  and  that  is  by  making  the  hu- 
man instrument  to  securely  rest  upon  and  recog- 
nize the  Divine.  It  is  in  harmony  with  the  eter- 
nal rectitude  of  affairs  that  the  product  of  the 
mind  of  the  finite  should  continually  recognize, 
rest  upon  and  obey  the  product  of  the  mind  of 
the  Infinite.  Hence,  Law  of  the  Second  Order 
should  recognize,  rest  upon  and  obey  its  master 
in  all  things.  Law  of  the  First  Order.  Let  the 
person  who  will  antagonize  this  position  first 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


47 


prove  himself  to  be  all-wise,  self-existent  and  in- 
dependent. This  is  our  argument  for  the  pro- 
posed Christian  Amendment  to  the  Constitution 
of  the  United  States.  The  voicing  of  the  amend- 
ment might  very  appropriately  appear  in  the  Pre- 
amble. It  would  then  read  as  follows:  We,  the 
people  of  these  United  States,  recognizing  Al- 
mighty God  as  the  source  of  all  power  in 
heaven  and  on  earth;  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as 
King  of  Kings,  and  Lord  of  Lords — The  Provi- 
dential Governor  of  the  Universe;  and  His  Law 
as  of  final  and  supreme  authority  in  civil  affairs ; 
in  order  to  form  a  more  perfect  union,  establish 
justice,  insure  domestic  tranquility,  promote  the 
general  welfare,  provide  for  the  common  defense, 
and  insure  the  blessings  of  liberty  to  ourselves 
and  our  posterity,  do  ordain  and  establish  this 
Constitution  for  the  United  States  of  America. 
If  by  the  miraculous  pouring  out  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  we  might  be  able  to  prevail  upon  the 
Christian  citizenship  of  our  great  country,  to  im- 
mediately adopt  this  amendment  and  unitedly 
stand  for  its  enforcement,  it  would  result  in  the 
binding  of  Satan,  and  immediately  cause  to 
burst  upon  our  beatific  vision  the  first  gush  of 
the  indescribable  glory  of  the  dawn  of  the  Mil- 
lennial Day.    O  will  the  Christian  people  thus 


48  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


strive  to  bring  to  pass  the  answer  to  the  prayer, 

THY  KINGDOM  COME. 

Surely  the  Christian  citizenship  of  this  great 
country  will  soon  begin  to  pray  and  labor  in  the 
most  effective  manner  for  the  advent  of  the  time 
when  the  will  of  our  Lord  "shall  be  done  on  earth 
as  it  is  in  heaven."  To  this  end  it  is  the  duty 
of  all  such  to  pray  and  labor  with  untiring  zeal 
and  energy  to  bring  to  pass  the  Christian  Amend- 
ment. "We  should  neither  give  sleep  to  our  eyes, 
nor  rest  to  our  eyelids"  until  the  logical,  natural 
relationship  existing  between  Law  of  the  First 
and  Second  Order  be  forever  recognized  and  es- 
tablished. When  that  blessed  day  comes,  we 
shall  have  succeeded  in  emancipating  our  official 
men  from  a  bondage  worse  than  sacrilege.  We 
will  not  then  be  compelled  to  gaze  upon  the  inde- 
fensible conduct  of  our  official  servants,  in  as- 
suming positions  of  public  trust  where,  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  inaugural  oath,  calling  upon 
Almighty  God  for  assistance,  they  are  sworn  to 
administer  abominable  measures  which  God 
hates.  Surely,  Christian  men  will  hail  with  de- 
light the  day  of  their  emancipation.  When  such 
reformation  shall  have  been  achieved  the  bless- 
ings of  an  higher  civilization  will  continually  de- 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


49 


scend  upon  the  heads  of  our  official  men,  and 
upon  the  heads  of  all  the  people,  like  the  dew  upon 
Mount  Hermon  in  the  days  of  Solomon.  In  that 
blessed  day  all  those  Statutory  enactments  which 
are  found  to  be  in  harmony  with  the  Law  of 
Christ,  and  they  alone,  will  be  regarded  as  con- 
stitutional. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


LAW  OF  THE  THIRD  ORDER. 


In  the  further  construction  of  this  Scriptural 
Diagram  we  will  now  bound  two  sections  of  like 
appearance  and  dimension.  We  place  them  on  a 
parity,  designating  the  one  as  Statutory  Law  and 
the  other  as  Common  Law ;  and  both  as  Law  of 
the  Third  Order.  We  will  also  require  that 
both  in  turn  should  rest  upon,  recognize  and 
obey  their  master — Law  of  the  Second  Order — 
as  Law  of  the  Second  Order  was  made  to  rest 
upon,  recognize  and  obey  its  master — Law  of 
the  First  Order.  This  Diagram  is  not  only 
Scriptural  in  the  ethics  of  its  teaching,  but  it  is 
the  logical,  natural  arrangement  of  the  three 
general  orders  or  kinds  of  law,  as  it  exists  in 
God's  plan,  and  as  it  will  be  received  by  all  na- 
tions, kindreds,  peoples  and  tongues:  when  "the 
Lord  Jesus  shall  take  unto  Him  His  great  power 
and  reign."  This  Diagram  is  the  plainly  visible 
compass  of  the  unerring  mind  of  the  invisible 
God,  touching  the  matters  of  government  and 
the  jurisprudence  of  law,  which  no  human  power 
50 


5 

i 

8 

?>    THE  CONSTITUTION 


of  The  Second  Order  ^f; 

I  T  H  E  D I  y  I N  JE   L  A  W  | 

X  I  «w         Th*-   First  Order  ^ 

V  VI  Vil  Vill   IX  X  I 
Rights  of  Man  | 


I      II      III  IV 

Rights  of  God 


52 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


may  continue  to  ignore  or  displace.  It  is  the  ul- 
timatum of  God  the  Father,  to  the  kingdoms  of 
this  world  and  to  the  powers  of  darkness,  de- 
manding universal  submission  to  the  Mediatorial 
Authority  and  Dominion  of  Christ.  We  have 
already  stated  that  Statutory  Law  is  Law  of  the 
Third  Order.  In  its  simpler  analysis  this  is 
true,  because  it  is  logically  and  naturally  third  in 
order  and  third  in  place.  Statutory  Law  is  en- 
acted by  the  Legislature  of  a  State,  or  by  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States,  touching  the  do- 
mestic, the  educational,  the  industrial,  the  moral 
and  social  welfare  of  all  the  people,  and  from  the 
day  of  its  enactment,  in  a  Christian  country,  it 
should  be  in  exact  harmony  with  Law  of  the 
Second  Order,  as  Law  of  the  Second  Order 
should  be  in  exact  harmony  with  Law  of  the 
First  Order.  It  is  relevant  here  to  call  to  mind 
again  Blackstone's  definition  of  Law,  viz. :  "Law 
is  that  which  is  enacted  by  the  supreme  power  of 
the  State  commending  that  which  is  right  and 
prohibiting  that  which  is  wrong."  We  will  note 
again  Blackstone's  other  definition  also,  viz. : 
"That  is  not  law,  which  conflicts  with  the  Law  of 
God."  And  we  will  add :  That  is  not  law,  which 
prohibits  right  by  commending  that  which  is 
wrong.    That  which  commends  that  which  is 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


S3 


morally  wrong  is  not  law  at  all;  it  is  a  corrupt 
and  corrupting  measure.  It  is  the  highest  type  of 
Christian  patriotism  therefore,  to  refuse  to  ac- 
cept an  office  of  trust,  either  in  person  or  by  rep- 
resentative, where  the  person,  calling  upon  Al- 
mighty God  for  assistance,  is  sworn  to  adminis- 
ter an  immoral  measure  that  is  in  direct  conflict 
with  the  Law  of  Christ. 

Common  Law  is  also  Law  of  the  Third  Order, 
being  on  a  parity  with  Statutory  Law,  Com- 
mon Law  comprises  the  mind  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  touching  all  those  Statutory  Enactments 
which  are  found  to  be  in  harmony  with  Law  of 
the  Second  Order.  If  the  Supreme  Court  ren- 
ders a  decision  in  regard  to  a  Statutory  Enact- 
ment, and  the  decision  is  in  plain  conflict  with 
Law  of  the  First  and  Second  Order ;  the  decision 
is  Common  Law  in  name  only  and  should  be  re- 
viewed at  the  earliest  possible  moment,  and  like 
a  corrupt  Statute,  it  should  be  set  aside  as  un- 
constitutional. Common  Law  in  Fact,  comprises 
all  Statutory  Enactments,  which  when  tested  by 
the  Court  of  Last  Appeals  are  found  to  be  in  har- 
mony with  the  spirit  and  letter  of  Law  of  the 
First  and  Second  Order.  Thus  the  Supreme 
Court  rightly  deals  with  Statutory  Law  and 
rightly  reverses  its  own  mistakes  in  perfect  accord 


54  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


with  the  true  relationship  existing  between  Law 
of  the  First  and  Second  Order.  The  function 
of  the  office  of  the  Supreme  Court  therefore  is, 
when  properly  approached  and  when  the  right  re- 
lationship is  once  established  between  the  three 
general  classes  of  law,  to  set  aside  as  unconstitu- 
tional all  vicious  Statutory  Enactments  and  all 
past  decisions  of  courts  which  are  found  to  be 
in  conflict  with 

THE  LAW  OF  CHRIST. 

With  the  foregoing  relationship  of  the  differ- 
ent orders  or  kinds  of  law  once  established  the 
Supreme  Court  should  make  no  mistakes.  With 
such  an  arrangement  we  should  be  able  to  set 
aside  as  unconstitutional  all  the  ills  that  afflict 
society;  and  at  the  same  time  we  should  be  able 
to  maintain  as  constitutional  from  generation  to 
generation  all  those  Statutory  enactments  which, 
when  executed,  administered  and  enforced,  tend 
to  promote  the  domestic,  the  educational,  the  in- 
dustrial, the  moral  and  social  interests  and  wel- 
fare of  all  the  people.  When  the  logical  natural 
relationship  existing  between  the  three  general 
orders  or  kinds  of  law,  shall  once  have  been  es- 
tablished through  the  active  endeavor  of  Chris- 
tian citizenship,  the  unique  position  and  the  far- 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


55 


reaching  power  of  the  Supreme  Court  to  main- 
tain the  right  and  set  aside  the  ills  that  afflict  so- 
ciety, will  be  readily  discovered.  Our  readers, 
however,  may  come  into  immediate  possession  of 
this  valuable  information  in  the  pursuance  of  the 
study  of  the  Diagram,  as  we  proceed  with  its  con- 
struction. 


S^~'=imimwinBiiiiaiiii9nriB<!iigiiiiB!!i;a'MiBiii!Sii;iai:^ 
=^:':iuiiiuiBiiiiBJiuaiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiaiuiii:iiiniiaiiiiBiiiiBiiiiBiiiii 

■iiiia  H  .:  a 

■iiiis  E  '  = 


■!!!!■ 


!!!!!! 
iiiiii 
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!!!!!! 
Ijiiii 
iiiiii 


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JUDICIARY  f 
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ill       THE  CONSTITUTION  I 


Law  of  The  Second  Order  J"^^. 


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I  THE  piyiNE:   LAW  I 

^  Law  of  The  First  Order  ? 

I      I     II     III      IV      I  V  VI  VII  VIII   IX  X  9 


III  i  Rights  of  God  j  Rights  of  Man  !^  ip 


Siiiia 

|llilEiinamiwiM»iiiaiiiiaiiiiaiiiiBiiiiaii 
iliiiBii!iBitiiR(iiLBJiii&iiiia:i!!aii:iaiiii^i> 


iBiiiiai|i|BiiiiBii||Km!B|;||BH;iBiii!B!i|i^ 

leiMiaisiiBiiiiBiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHi 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


57 


We  call  the  attention  of  our  readers  to  the 
newly  added  section  in  the  form  of  the  letter  T, 
in  which  is  written  JUDICIARY  DECISIONS. 
This  is  the  logical  natural  position  that  the  Su- 
preme Court  occupies  in  reference  to  the  two 
kinds  of  law  designated  as  Law  of  the  Third 
Order — the  two  kinds  of  law  which  we  place  on 
a  parity; — the  two  kinds  of  law  with  which  the 
Supreme  Court  has  to  do.  As  Statutory  and  Com- 
mon Law,  in  a  Christian  government  do  rest  upon 
the  double  basis — Law  of  the  Second  and  First 
Order,  so  the  Supreme  Court  should,  as  it  appears 
to  do  in  the  Diagram,  rest  all  Judiciary  Decisions 
upon  the  same  double  basis.  On  this  plan  the  Su- 
preme Court,  as  it  were,  would  plant  the  feet  of 
its  standing  upon  this  double  basis ;  and,  with  its 
strong  right  arm  outstretched,  as  you  see  it  in  the 
Diagram,  it  should  be  able  to  maintain  as  consti- 
tutional and  hold  forever  secure  upon  this  double 
foundation,  all  Statutory  enactments  which  are  in 
pursuance  with  the  same.  On  this  same  plan  the 
same  Supreme  Judiciary,  with  its  strong  left  arm 
outstretched,  should  be  able  to  maintain  and  hold 
forever  secure  upon  this  double  basis  all  Com- 
mon Law,  all  decisions  of  courts,  its  own  in- 
cluded, which  are  found  to  be  in  pursuance  with 
the  same.   On  this  God-devised  plan  the  Supreme 


58  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


Court  should  also  be  able  to  fling  to  the  right 
and  to  the  left  as  unconstitutional,  all  Statutory 
Enactments  and  all  principles  at  Common  Law, 
which  are  found  to  be  in  conflict  with  this 
double  basis.  On  this  glorious  plan,  and  on  this 
plan  alone,  the  Supreme  Judiciary  may  be- 
come the  firmest  bulwark  of  our  cherished  lib- 
erties and  our  free  institutions.  On  this  plan,  the 
Supreme  Court  should  be  able  to  cast  into  the 
furnace  of  God's  consuming  ire  all  Statutory  en- 
actments, and  all  past  decisions  of  courts,  that 
have  resulted  in  the  sacrifice  of  the  paramount 
interests  of  the  people.  On  this  plan,  we  will 
eventually  attain  not  only  to  the  physical,  moral 
and  spiritual  emancipation  of  our  species  from  the 
thraldom  of  the  dominion  of  incorporated  insati- 
able greed ;  but  we  will  Hft  the  whole  populace 
of  the  country  and  of  the  world  into  full  posses- 
sion of  the  higher  civilization  which  may  very 
properly  be  designated, 

THE  NEW  HEAVENS  AND  THE  NEW  EARTH. 

Then,  "The  light  of  the  moon  shall  be  as  the 
light  of  the  sun :  and  the  light  of  the  sun  shall 
be  as  the  light  of  seven  days,  and  there  shall  be 
no  need  for  the  light  of  a  candle;"  for  the  di- 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


S9 


vinely  directed  genius  of  man  in  electric  dis- 
play will  cause  the  night  to  blaze  as  day,  until 
it  may  be  truly  said  that  the  Lord  God  is  the 
light  thereof.  On  this  plan  you  will  now  observe 
that  our  Scriptural  Diagram  is  complete. 


g!j:|mBtiiiamwiii!iniiiiiiiiiiii|!iii|iiM|iiiia:iiiaii:isii!i|iM 

i^:::iiMiiiiiiHiiBtniiiiiiBiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiii<iiiiiiiiiiBiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiBiiiiBiiii^ 


GOD  OVER  ALL  I 


I  Christ  is  Kin^ 

OVER 


If: 


The  Bible  Law  | 

THE    NATION  % 


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JUDICIARY  I 


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III  I  THE  CONSTITUTBON    i|  i| 

lllil   ]^  Law  of  The  Second  Order         ^  ||| 

ill  III 


%  THE  DIVINE  LAW 

Law  of  The  First  Order 

II    ill    iv    i  V  VI  VII  VIII  IX  X 


ill  ^  

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Ill  £  Rights  of  God  i  Rights  of  Man  <^ 


I  111 

%  iliiii 


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iiiiiiliiijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiMiinniuiiaitiiiiiiiBniiiiiiiaiiMim 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


6i 


On  this  plan  and  on  this  plan  alone,  God  is  over 
All.  On  this  plan  and  on  this  plan  alone,  Christ 
is  King  Over  the  Nation;  and  the  Bible  is  Law 
for  the  Nation.  On  this  plan  and  on  this  plan 
alone,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  will  dispense  the 
providences  that  will  eventually  subjugate  the 
world  of  nations  unto  Himself. 


CHAPTER  VIL 


SCRIPTURAL   ENTRENCHMENT   POINTING   TO  THE 
NEW  HEAVENS  AND  THE  NEW  EARTH. 

SCRIPTURAL  ENTRENCHMENT. 

"I  will  put  enmity  between  thee  and  the  wo- 
man, and  between  thy  seed  and  her  seed ;  it  shall 
bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  shalt  bruise  his  heel." 

*'And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  called  unto  Abra- 
ham a  second  time  out  of  heaven,  and  said,  By 
myself  have  I  sworn,  saith  the  Lord,  because  thou 
hast  done  this  thing,  and  hast  not  withheld  thy 
son,  thine  only  son ;  that  in  blessing  I  will  bless 
thee,  and  in  multiplying  I  will  multiply  thy  seed 
as  the  stars  of  the  heaven,  and  as  the  sand  which 
is  upon  the  seashore;  and  thy  seed  shall  possess 
the  gate  of  his  enemies ;  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all 
the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed,  because  thou 
hast  obeyed  my  voice." 

"Ask  of  me  and  I  will  give  thee  the  nations  for 
thine  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 
earth  for  thy  possession." 

"All  the  ends  of  the  earth  shall  remember  and 
turn  unto  the  Lord;  And  all  the  kindreds  of  the 
62 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


63 


nations  shall  worship  before  thee.  For  the  king- 
dom is  the  Lord's,  and  He  is  the  ruler  over  the 
nations." 

"He  shall  have  dominion  also  from  sea  to  sea, 
and  from  the  river  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth. 
They  that  dwell  in  the  wilaerness  shall  bow  be- 
fore him ;  and  his  enemies  shall  lick  the  dust. 
The  kings  of  Tarshish  and  of  the  isles  shall  bring 
presents.  The  kings  of  Sheba  and  Seba  shall 
offer  gifts.  Yea,  all  kings  shall  fall  down  before 
Him ;  all  nations  shall  serve  Him." 

"I  saw  in  the  night  vision,  and,  behold,  there 
came  with  the  clouds  of  heaven  one  like  unto  a 
son  of  man,  and  he  came  even  to  the  ancient  of 
days,  and  they  brought  him  near  before  him.  And 
there  was  given  him  dominion,  and  glory,  and  a 
kingdom,  that  all  the  peoples,  nations,  and  lan- 
guages should  serve  him  :  his  dominion  is  an  ever- 
lasting dominion,  which  shall  not  pass  away,  and 
his  kingdom  that  which  shall  not  be  destroyed." 

"For  neither  doth  the  Father  judge  any  man, 
but  He  hath  given  all  judgment  unto  the  Son 
that  all  may  honour  the  Son,  even  as  they  honour 
the  Father.  He  that  honoureth  not  the  Son,  hon- 
oureth  not  the  Father  which  sent  Him." 

"'And  Jesus  came  to  them  and  spake  unto  them, 
saying,  All  authority  hath  been  given  unto  me  in 


64 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


heaven  and  on  earth.  Go  ye,  therefore,  and  make 
disciples  of  all  the  nations,  baptizing  them  into 
the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost ;  teaching  them  to  observe  all 
things  whatsoever  I  commanded  you,  and  lo,  I  am 
with  you  always,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world." 

"That  the  God  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the 
Father  of  glory,  may  give  unto  you  a  spirit  of 
wisdom  and  revelation  in  the  knowledge  of  him ; 
having  the  eyes  of  your  heart  enlightened,  that 
ye  may  know  what  is  the  hope  of  his  calling,  what 
the  riches  of  the  glory  of  his  inheritance  in  the 
saints,  and  what  the  exceeding  greatness  of  his 
power  to  US-ward  who  believe,  according  to  that 
working  of  the  strength  of  his  might  which  he 
wrought  in  Christ,  when  he  raised  him  from  the 
dead,  and  made  him  sit  at  his  right  hand  in  heav- 
enly places,  far  above  all  rule  and  authority,  and 
power  and  dominion,  and  every  name  that  is 
named,  not  only  in  this  world,  but  also  in  that 
which  is  to  come ;  and  he  put  all  things  in  sub- 
jection under  his  feet  and  gave  him  to  be  head 
over  all  things  to  the  church,  which  is  his  body, 
the  fullness  of  him  that  filleth  all  in  all." 

"Have  this  mind  in  you,  which  was  also  in 
Christ  Jesus,  who  being  in  the  form  of  God, 
counted  it  not  a  prize  to  be  on  an  equality  with 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


65 


God,  but  emptied  himself,  taking  the  form  of  a 
servant,  being  made  in  the  hkeness  of  men,  and 
being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled 
himself,  becoming  obedient  even  unto  death,  yea, 
the  death  of  the  cross.  Wherefore  also  God 
highly  exalted  him,  and  gave  unto  him  the  name 
which  is  above  every  name,  that  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven 
and  things  on  earth  and  things  under  the  earth, 
and  that  every  tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father." 

"This  is  the  antichrist,  even  he  that  denieth 
the  Father  and  the  Son.  Whosoever  denieth  the 
Son,  the  same  hath  not  the  Father;  he  that  con- 
fesseth  the  Son  hath  the  Father  also." 

''He  that  hath  the  Son  hath  the  life;  he  that 
hath  not  the  Son  of  God  hath  not  the  life." 

"Everyone  therefore  who  shall  confess  me  be- 
fore men,  him  will  I  also  confess  before  my 
Father  which  is  in  heaven.  But  whosoever  shall 
deny  me  before  men,  him  will  I  also  deny  before 
my  Father  which  is  in  heaven." 

"Whosoever  goeth  onward  and  abideth  not  in 
the  teaching  of  Christ,  hath  not  God;  he  that 
abideth  in  the  teaching,  the  same  hath  both  the 
Father  and  the  Son." 

"And  the  seventh  angel  sounded,  and  there  fol- 


66  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


lowed  great  voices  in  heaven,  and  they  said,  The 
kingdom  of  the  world  is  become  the  kingdom  of 
our  Lord  and  of  his  Christ;  and  he  shall  reign 
forever  and  ever." 

"And  out  of  his  mouth  proceedeth  a  sharp 
sword,  that  with  it  he  should  smite  the  nations; 
and  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron,  and  he 
treadeth  the  winepress  of  the  fierceness  of  the 
wrath  of  Almighty  God.  And  he  hath  on  his 
garment,  and  on  his  thigh  a  name  written,  King 
of  Kings  and  Lord  of  Lords." 

"And  I  heard  as  it  were  the  voice  of  a  great 
multitude,  and  as  the  voice  of  many  waters,  and 
as  the  voice  of  mighty  thunders,  saying.  Hallelu- 
jah, for  the  Lord  our  God,  the  Almighty  reign- 
eth." 

"And  I  saw  thrones,  and  they  that  sat  upon 
them,  and  judgment  was  given  unto  them ;  and  I 
saw  the  souls  of  them  that  had  been  beheaded  for 
the  testimony  of  Jesus,  and  for  the  word  of  God, 
and  such  as  worshiped  not  the  beast,  neither  his 
image,  and  received  not  the  mark  upon  their  fore- 
head and  upon  their  hand;  and  they  lived  and 
reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years.  The  rest 
of  the  dead  lived  not  until  the  thousand  years 
should  be  finished.  This  is  the  first  resurrection. 
Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath  part  in  the  first 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


67 


resurrection ;  over  these  the  second  death  hath  no 
power;  but  they  shall  be  priests  of  God  and  of 
Christ,  and  shall  reign  with  him  a  thousand 
years." 

THE  NEW  HEAVENS  AND  THE  NEW  EARTH. 

When  the  glory  of  Christ's  kingdom  shall  ap- 
pear, the  people  will  say : 

The  aggregate  of  all  right  teaching  in  the  past 
has  brought  us  to  see  the  new  heavens  and  the 
new  earth.  Behold !  The  people  are  now  all 
righteous,  for  the  spirit  of  the  Father  and  the  Son 
has  been  poured  out  upon  all  flesh.  There  is  no 
more  need  that  ''one  man  should  say  unto  his 
brother,  know  the  Lord for  'The  knowledge  of 
the  Lord  now  covers  the  earth  as  the  waters  cover 
the  sea" — broad  and  deep.  The  desert  now  lit- 
erally blossoms  as  the  rose,  for  there  is  no  more 
curse.  The  Lord  has  rebuked  the  devourer  for 
the  sake  of  His  covenant  people.  There  is  no 
more  the  caterpillar,  the  canker  worm,  the  palmer 
worm,  mildew,  rust.  The  Lord  now  pours  out 
the  early  rain  and  the  latter  rain,  and  each  in  its 
season,  just  when  it  is  needed.  He  pours  out  the 
early  rain  and  the  latter  rain  gently,  with  no  room 
anywhere  for  a  cyclone  or  a  hail-storm.  He 
causes  the  early  rain  to  reach  to  the  latter  rain. 


68  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


with  no  room  between  for  drought.  The  great 
motor  force  now  impeUing  the  conduct  of  men 
is  love  to  God  and  love  to  man,  and  the  will 
of  the  Lord  now  appears  to  be  done  on  earth  as 
it  is  in  heaven.  Men  have  now  come  to  regard 
the  Sabbath  both  as  a  day  of  rest  and  a  day  of 
worship.  They  also  exhibit  a  profound  rever- 
ence for  the  sanctuary.  Our  churches  are  now 
crowded  to  the  doors,  and  there  is  no  more  the 
voice  of  the  vulgar  and  profane  in  all  our  borders. 
The  materialistic  age  has  passed  away,  and  the 
fatherhood  of  God  and  the  brother  of  man  is  uni- 
versally owned  and  recognized.  We  have  arrived 
at  the  gospel  solution  of  the  once  perplexing 
question  of  Capital  and  Labor,  and  flesh  and 
blood  and  the  souls  of  men  are  no  longer  sacri- 
ficed upon  the  lustful  altar  of  insatiable  greed. 
The  liquor  traffic  is  dead,  and  together  with  its 
associate  evils,  has  passed  away  like  morning 
clouds  after  a  night's  rain.  The  great  Armaged- 
don— the  last  great  battle  has  been  fought,  and 
the  corrupt  powers  of  the  old  earth  have  been 
dashed  to  pieces  like  potter's  vessels.  The  fowls 
of  heaven  have  had  their  great  supper,  and  after 
babbling  conference  have  scattered  again  to  the 
four  winds  of  heaven.  The  continents  have  been 
divorced  by  canals,  and  the  oceans  have  been 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


69 


wedded  by  the  kissing  of  their  waters,  and  do 
now  bear  upon  their  united  bosom  the  commerce 
of  all  nations,  in  universal  reciprocity  and  free 
trade,  in  accordance  with  the  ethics  of  the  Deca- 
logue, the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  and  the  Gold- 
en Rule.  Science  is  so  perfected  and  our  world 
is  so  effectually  electrolighted  that  it  may 
verily  be  said,  there  is  no  night  there.  Aerial 
navigation  is  now  in  sharp  competition  with 
transportation  by  land  and  sea,  and  our  airships 
may  now  be  seen  sporting  with  the  iVmerican 
Eagle  in  God's  pure  ether.  With  all  this  in  view 
it  may  be  said  there  is  no  more  sea  to  obstruct 
the  world's  commerce.  All  important  acts  of 
legislation  are  now  in  accord  with  the  Law  of 
Christ,  and  there  is  no  longer  the  conspiring  of 
our  law-makers  with  capital  for  a  general  hold- 
up of  the  masses.  Instead  of  bribe-giving  capi- 
talists, and  bribe-taking  politicians,  we  have  ar- 
rived at  Municipal,  State  and  National  ownership 
of  all  natural  monopolies,  by  the  right  of  eminent 
domain  and  in  the  interests  of  all  the  people.  As 
one  of  our  noble  White  Ribbon  women  has  said, — 
Pennsylvania  has  become  the  "Quay-Stone  State." 
But,  blessed  be  God,  this  is  no  longer  true.  It  is 
the  Key-stone  State  again, — purified  and  re- 
deemed.   We  are  now  well  able  to  effectively 


70 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


apply  the  universal  doctrine  of  arbitration  in  the 
settlement  of  all  difficulties  and  disputes ;  and  are 
now  ready  to  encore  the  angels  who  sang  at  the 
first  advent  of  Christ,  to  sing  the  same  glorious 
song  as  prophesy  fulfilled:  "Glory  to  God  in  the 
highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will  to  men." 
For  there  is  a  world  of  nations  all  at  peace  with 
one  another.  Hallelujah,  for  the  Lord  our  God, 
the  Almighty  reigneth. 


PART  SECOND.    CHAPTER  1. 


THE  SABBATH  A  SIGN. 

Exodus  Thirty-first  Chapter,  Thirteenth  Verse. 
"Speak  thou  also  unto  the  Children  of  Israel,  say- 
ing, Verily  ye  shall  keep  my  Sabbaths:  for  it  is 
a  sign  between  me  and  you  throughout  your  gen- 
erations, that  ye  may  know  that  I  am  the  Lord 
which  sanctify  you."  The  many  great  occur- 
rences in  men's  lives  appear  to  have  been  largely 
influenced  and  effected  by  signs.  We  have  come 
to  regard  this  thought,  as  a  marked  feature  in  in- 
dividual history,  from  the  creation  of  the  world, 
even  unto  this  day.  It  matters  not  how  religious, 
or  how  superstitious  men  may  be ;  they  are  all  the 
time  seeking  to  be  directed  and  favorably  in- 
fluenced by  the  supernatural.  The  nearer  men  are 
to  God  and  Christ,  the  more  definite  are  their 
views  as  to  what  constitutes  the  supernatural. 
The  further  men  depart  from  God  and  Christ,  the 
more  they  are  inclined  to  superstition.  The  Apos- 
tle Paul  regarded  the  stoics  in  Athens,  as  being 
altogether  too  superstitious  *  *  *  Some 
men  observe  the  signs  in  the  sun ;  and  others  ob- 

71 


72 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


serve  the  signs  in  the  heavens.  Belief  in  a  sign 
from  God  is  a  virtue,  whilst  being  guided  by 
superstition  is  the  sin  of  ignorance.  And  ignorance 
in  such  case,  certainly  is  not  bliss.  Bliss,  indeed, 
lies  in  a  real  sign  from  God.  The  diurnal  revo- 
lution of  our  earth  upon  its  axis,  is  a  definite  sign 
to  all  who  know  the  living  and  true  God ;  that  we 
shall  continue  to  have  the  succession  of  day  and 
night ;  which  insures  to  men  a  time  for  labor  and 
a  time  for  repose.  The  annual  revolution  of  our 
world  around  the  sun  is  a  definite  sign  from  God 
that  we  do  not  live  in  a  world  of  chance,  and,  that 
while  sun  and  moon  endure,  we  shall  continue  to 
have  summer  and  winter,  cold  and  heat,  seed  time 
and  harvest.  God's  six  period  method  of  bring- 
ing order  out  of  chaos,  followed  by  the  single 
period  of  the  reposing  of  his  creative  energy,  was 
given  as  a  perpetual  sign  of  the  weekly  recurrence 
of  the  holy  Sabbath.  In  exact  harmony  with  the 
wisdom  of  God  as  indicated  in  this  plan,  the  law 
of  the  Sabbath  appears  to  have  been  written  in 
the  very  fibre  of  man's  being.  The  infinite  wis- 
dom of  the  great  Creator  in  this  matter,  is  plainly 
evidenced.  After  this  process,  all  the  way  down 
through  the  ages,  God  has  been  schooling  the 
physical  man  into  due  regard  for  the 
moral  nature.    God  made  it  necessary  that  man 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


73 


should  require  a  periodical  day  of  rest  in  addition 
to  his  nightly  repose.  The  plan  was  necessary, 
not  only  that  he  might  continue  to  remember  that 
there  is  a  God,  but  that  he  might  have  both  time 
and  sufficient  energy  to  induce  him  to  worship  the 
great  Creator  *  *  *  When  the  whole  world 
of  mankind  (excepting  one  family), waxed  wicked 
and  forsook  the  Lord,  the  Almighty  took  that  one 
family  in  the  hollow  of  His  hand,  as  it  were,  and 
lifted  it,  morality,  religion,  the  family  altar,  the 
Sabbath  and  all,  from  the  antediluvian  side  of 
the  flood  to  the  post-diluvian  side.  Those  who 
had  forgotten  the  Lord  and  the  Sabbath ;  had  been 
forgotten  by  the  Lord  of  the  Sabbath,  who  left 
them  eflPectually  silenced  on  the  antediluvian  side 
of  the  flood.  Are  we  not  justifiable  in  conclud- 
ing that  the  corrupt  conditions  which  were  so  ef- 
fectually silenced  on  the  antediluvian  side  of  the 
flood  should  never  have  been  introduced  again  on 
the  post-diluvian  side  of  the  flood?  When  such 
corruption  is  discovered,  all  the  faithful  sons  of 
Noah  should  bend  every  energy  to  have  it  ex- 
punged. When  Noah  had  safely  landed  on  our 
side  of  the  flood, — the  Lord  appeared  to  say  unto 
him  :  Here  you  are  Noah,  safe  and  sound.  Now 
Noah,  you  can  preach  the  preaching  of  right- 
eousness, for  there  is  no  opposition.    When  the 


74  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


great  patriarch  had  stepped  upon  the  dry  land,  his 
first  thought  was  gratitude,  and  his  first  act  was 
worship,  and  the  Sabbath  had  safely  landed  on 
our  side  of  the  flood.  Noah  was  not  superstitious, 
but  God  had  determined  to  reassure  his  confidence. 
"And  God  spake  unto  Noah  and  to  his  sons  with 
him,  saying,  And  I,  behold,  I  establish  my  coven- 
ant with  you,  and  with  your  seed  after  you ;  and 
with  every  living  creature  that  is  with  you,  the 
fowl,  the  cattle,  and  every  beast  of  the  earth  with 
you  ;  of  all  that  go  out  of  the  ark,  even  every  beast 
of  the  earth.  And  I  will  establish  m.y  covenant 
with  you ;  neither  shall  all  flesh  be  cut  oflp  any 
more  by  the  waters  of  the  flood;  neither  shall 
there  any  more  be  a  flood  to  destroy  the  earth. 
And  God  said,  this  is  the  token  of  the  covenant 
which  I  make  between  me  and  you  and  every  liv- 
ing creature  that  is  with  you,  for  perpetual  gen- 
erations ;  I  do  set  my  bow  in  the  cloud,  and  it 
shall  be  for  a  token  of  a  covenant  between  me  and 
the  earth.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  I 
bring  a  cloud  over  the  earth,  that  the  bow  shall 
be  seen  in  the  cloud,  and  I  will  remember  every 
living  creature  of  all  flesh :  and  the  waters  shall 
no  more  become  a  flood  to  destroy  all  flesh.  And 
the  bow  shall  be  in  the  cloud  ;  and  I  will  look  upon 
it,  that  I  may  remember  the  everlasting  covenant 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


75 


between  me  and  every  living  creature  of  all  flesh 
that  is  upon  the  earth.  And  God  said  unto  Noah : 
This  is  the  token  of  the  covenant  which  I  have  es- 
tablished between  me  and  all  flesh  that  is  upon 
the  earth."  Blessed  assurance.  Blessed  token. 
Blessed  sign.  This  is  the  sign  which  God  Him- 
self had  painted  in  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow 
in  its  first  appearance.  Truly,  it  was  a  picture  of 
celestial  art  and  beauty  in  the  indescribable  blend- 
ing of  the  hues  in  ineffable  effect.  This  covenant 
between  God  and  Noah,  is  the  most  painstaking 
paragraph  in  the  Bible;  for  the  establishment  of 
the  faith  of  a  saint  of  God,  in  the  steadfastness 
of  the  covenants  that  exist  between  God  and  His 
people.  With  this  covenant  in  view,  all  skepti- 
cism should  have  been  forever  swept  from  the 
earth  by  the  flood.  With  this  covenant  in  view, 
the  spiritual  life,  the  family  altar,  the  holy  Sab- 
bath, and  the  church  of  the  living  God,  should 
have  been  rendered  forever  stable  and  secure. 
Thus  the  world  had  been  washed  from  its  impur- 
ity, and  the  holy  Sabbath  and  every  thing  sacred 
had  been  safely  lodged  on  our  side  the  flood, 
and  rendered  secure  so  far  as  the  saints  of  God 
are  concerned,  by  the  sign  of  the  covenant  in  the 
heavens.  Thus  the  holy  Sabbath  became  the  in- 
heritance of  the  faithful,  and  by  natural  genera- 


76  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


tion  it  was  passed  on  until  it  reached  Abraham, 
Isaac  and  Jacob,  and  on  through  the  Egyptian 
bondage,  and  through  the  Red  Sea  to  the  Mount 
of  God,  where  the  Law  of  the  Sabbath,  together 
with  the  other  commandments  was  indelibly  writ- 
ten by  the  hand  of  God  upon  the  select  granite  of 
Horeb.  This  same  Law  of  the  Sabbath  was  re- 
peated and  rehearsed  in  the  audience  of  the  peo- 
ple, by  the  great  Lawgiver  through  His  prophet 
Moses,  until  the  congregation  of  Israel  had 
arrived  at  the  banks  of  the  Jordan.  To  all  God's 
people  the  following  will  ever  be  regarded  as  a 
most  interesting  and  profitable  statement  of  the 
Sabbath  question:  "Speak  thou  also  unto  the 
children  of  Israel,  saying,  verily  ye  shall  keep  my 
Sabbaths;  for  it  is  a  sign  between  me  and  you 
throughout  your  generations ;  that  ye  may  know 
that  I  am  the  Lord  which  sanctify  you."  This  is 
plainly  written,  as  a  sign  of  a  covenant  relation- 
ship between  God  and  His  people ;  for  it  must  be 
evident  to  every  one,  that  God  will  sanctify  His 
own  people  only.  When  He  thus  sanctifieth  a 
peculiar  people  unto  Himself,  he  can  truly  say 
unto  them,  ye  are  my  sons  and  daughters,  and 
they  can  say  in  turn,  Abba  Father.  And,  accord- 
ing to  this  portion  of  Scripture,  this  is  the  re- 
lationship that  exists  between  all  true  lovers  of  the 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


77 


Sabbath  and  God  the  Father.  The  Sabbath  cher- 
ished, loved  and  revered  in  the  heart  of  a  people, 
should  ever  be  received  as  a  sign  of  the  abiding 
love  of  Christ.  It  is  the  token  of  an  everlasting 
covenant.    "I  am  the  Lord  which  sanctify  you." 

There  are  but  two  kinds  of  sanctification,  viz : 
the  sanctification  of  consecration  for  service;  and 
sanctification  for  heaven.  Certainly  all  those  who 
truly  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  the  Sab- 
bath will  attain  to  sanctification  in  both  senses. 
The  person  who  can  truly  say  unto  the  Lord : 
Lord,  thou  knowest  all  things ;  thou  knowest  that 
I  love  the  blessed,  holy  Sabbath  with  all  its  sacred 
rights  and  privileges ;  the  Lord  can  say  in  quick 
response,  'T  have  loved  thee  with  an  everlasting 
love,"  and  thenceforth  I  will  impart  to  thee  the 
sanctification  of  consecration  for  faithful  service. 
"I  will  never  leave  thee ;  I  will  never  forsake 
thee ;"  and  when  the  days  of  thine  earthly  pilgrim- 
age are  at  an  end,  I  will  see  to  it  that  thou  shalt 
never  part  this  life  until  thy  soul  is  fully  sancti- 
fied for  heaven.  Joy  to  the  world  of  believers ! 
The  Sabbath  is  a  sign  of  sanctification. 

All  those,  who  from  the  supreme  motive  of  love 
to  God  and  Christ,  will  remember  the  Sabbath 
day  to  keep  it  holy  in  the  true  spirit  of  the  insti- 
tution; it  is  a  definite  sign  that  they  will  live  a 


I 


78 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


godly  life  in  this  present  evil  world,  and  that  "they 
will  bring  up  their  children  in  the  nurture,  fear 
and  admonition  of  the  Lord."  ''They  will  be  living 
epistles,  known  and  read  of  all  men."  Moreover, 
when  they  depart  this  life,  they  will  leave  the 
world  better  than  they  found  it. 

Again,  all  those  who  from  proper  motives,  re- 
member the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy,  it  is  a 
definite  sign  that  they  will  be  good  citizens.  They 
will  not  give  our  policemen  trouble.  They  will 
be  in  church  on  Sabbath,  and  we  will  not  look  to 
see  them  before  our  police  courts  on  Monday.  It 
would  be  an  unusual  sight,  indeed,  to  see  our  po- 
lice walking  up  and  down  the  aisles  of  our 
churches,  proclaiming  in  the  audience  of  the  de- 
vout worshipers;  we  are  here,  ye  saints  of  the 
most  high  God.  We  are  determined  that  ye  shall 
not  disturb  the  peace  and  good  order  of  society. 
We  will  see  to  it  that  ye  continue  to  be  civil.  Nay 
brethren.  The  grace  of  God  in  the  heart  of  a 
Christian  people,  together  with  profound  respect 
for  the  holy  Sabbath — is  the  police  force  for  the 
church  of  Christ,  It  is  the  divine  process  of  mak- 
ing men  civil.  There  is  another  field  of  service 
and  of  duty  into  which  our  poHce  must  enter. 
The  police  force  is  constantly  on  the  slimy,  ser- 
pentine trail  of  the  Sabbath  breakers.    They  are 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


79 


seeking  out  the  infernal  dens  of  the  babbHng 
drunkards,  the  gamblers,  the  whore-mongers  and 
such-like  from  day  to  day.  What  shall  we  say 
as  to  our  drunken,  gambling,  whore-monger  poli- 
ticians and  so-called  law-makers,  who  are  ever  on 
the  alert  to  take  bribes,  and  who  are  constantly 
exercising  themselves  in  the  field  of  political  can- 
vass in  the  lobbies,  to  break  down  and  repeal 
our  Sabbath  laws  ?  They  are  the  avowed  enemies 
of  Christian  civilization  and  of  our  free  institu- 
tions; and  are  more  to  be  dreaded  than  famine, 
and  sword  and  pestilence — for  God  is  often  under 
the  necessity  of  employing  one,  or  all  of  these, 
for  the  overthrow  of  such  usurpers.  Such  per- 
sonalities are  the  devil's  advance  agents  in  the 
establishment  of  the  schools  of  anarchy  where  the 
Christless  hoards  are  ripened  and  graduated  to 
break  every  law  of  God  and  man,  which  corrup- 
tion, when  taken  in  the  aggregate,  unless  a  check 
is  put  upon  it  by  wholesome  endeavor,  will  event- 
ually result  in  a  reign  of  terror.  We  call  upon  the 
Christian  citizenship  of  this  great  country,  ere  it 
be  too  late,  to  speedily  awake  from  a  state  of 
lethargy  and  seeming  indifference,  and  to  enter 
at  once  upon  a  peaceful  moral  crusade,  such  as 
has  never  yet  swept  the  American  continent, 
which  will  result  in  social  and  political  house- 


8o  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 

cleaning  from  cellar  to  garret.  Thus  we  may  be 
able  to  maintain  our  Sabbath  laws  in  spite  of  all 
insane  opposition ;  for  the  Sabbath  is  a  sign  of 
everything  else  that  is  desirable  in  our  civilization. 
If  the  Sabbath  be  taken  from  us  as  a  protected 
institution,  then  woe  be  to  the  Christian  type  of 
the  family ;  to  the  Christian  church,  and  to  every 
Christian  usage  and  custom  in  the  State  and  Na- 
tion. The  united  church  of  the  living  God  must 
stand  in  one  unbroken  phalanx  in  defense  of  the 
Diamond  of  Days,  in  order  that  it  may  be  possible 
to  school  the  succeeding  generations  in  civil  man- 
ners and  morals.  When  we  are  thus  able  to 
educate  all  men,  then  all  men  will  be  civil,  and  we 
will  have  but  little  use  for  policemen,  city  or  state 
prisons.  The  Sabbath  is  a  sign  of  all  that  is  good 
in  the  Family,  the  Church  and  the  State ;  and  all 
who  are  good,  will  count  it  a  privilege  to  spend 
and  be  spent  in  its  defense. 

By  prayer  and  by  faith,  in  the  constant  exercise 
of  untiring  zeal  and  energy,  in  a  life  of  self-sacri- 
fice on  the  part  of  all  those  who  truly  love  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ :  we  should  be  able  to  pass  down 
to  our  children,  and  our  children's  children  unto 
the  latest  generation — the  better  inheritance — the 
Christian  Sabbath.  This  can  only  be  effected  by 
the  aggregate  of  all  right  teaching.   For,  it  is  the 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


8i 


aggregate  of  all  right  teaching  in  the  past,  that  has 
given  to  us  all  that  is  desirable  in  the  present :  and 
it  will  require  the  aggregate  of  all  right  teaching 
in  the  future,  to  usher  in  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord 
and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  The  Sabbath  is  a  sign 
of  all  that  is  good  in  our  present  civilization ;  and 
it  is  a  type  of  all  that  is  desirable  in  the  future  life, 
and  we  are  to  speak  unto  all  nations  to  this  effect. 
"Speak  thou  also  unto  the  Children  of  Israel,  say- 
ing. Verily  ye  shall  keep  my  Sabbaths :  for  it  is  a 
sign  between  me  and  you  throughout  your  genera- 
tions, that  ye  may  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  which 
sanctify  you." 


PART  SECOND— CHAPTER  II 


ADVANTAGES  OF  A  WELL-SPENT  SABBATH. 

Isaiah  fifty-eighth  chapter,  thirteenth  and  four- 
teenth verses. 

When,  in  the  use  of  Scripture  language,  we  are 
asked  to  define  a  well-spent  Sabbath,  we  usually 
refer  our  readers  to  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth 
verses  of  the  fifty-eighth  chapter  of  Isaiah:  *Tf 
thou  turn  away  thy  foot  from  the  Sabbath,  from 
doing  thy  pleasure  upon  my  holy  day,  and  call  the 
Sabbath  a  delight,  and  the  holy  of  the  Lord  hon- 
ourable, and  shalt  honour  it,  not  doing  thine  own 
ways,  nor  finding  thine  own  pleasure,  nor  speak- 
ing thine  own  words :  then  shalt  thou  delight  thy- 
self in  the  Lord,  and  I  will  make  thee  to  ride  upon 
the  high  places  of  the  earth ;  and  I  will  feed  thee 
with  the  heritage  of  Jacob  thy  father:  for  the 
mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it."  These  verses 
furnish  not  only  a  Scriptural  definition  of  a  well- 
spent  Sabbath :  but,  they  plainly  indicate  also  the 
many  advantages  that  will  accrue  to  a  people  from 
the  proper  observance  of  the  same.  When  we  are 
asked  for  a  concept  of  the  opinion  of  the  Church 
82 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


83 


of  Christ,  as  to  what  constitutes  a  well-spent  Sab- 
bath :  we  usually  direct  the  attention  of  our  read- 
ers to  the  answer  to  the  question  as  found  in  the 
Westminster  Shorter  Catechism:  ''How  is  the 
Sabbath  to  be  sanctified?"  Answer:  'The  Sab- 
bath is  to  be  sanctified  by  an  holy  resting  all  that 
day,  even  from  such  worldly  employments  and  re- 
creations, as  are  lawful  on  other  days :  and  in 
spending  the  whole  time  in  the  public  and  private 
exercises  of  God's  worship ;  except  so  much  as  is 
to  be  taken  up  in  the  works  of  necessity  and 
mercy."  When  we  are  asked  for  a  definition  of  a 
well-spent  Sabbath  in  our  own  language,  to  be 
made  so  plain  that  even  a  child  may  be  able  to 
comprehend :  we  usually  enlarge  upon  the  above 
definitions  as  follows :  When  we  open  our  eyes 
upon  the  First  day  of  the  week,  before  we  have 
time  to  lift  our  heads  from  the  pillows ;  we  should 
thank  God,  that  we  have  been  permitted  to  be- 
hold another  day  of  the  Son  of  Man  upon  earth. 
A  little  later,  when  we  have  arisen  from  our  beds, 
and  are  clothed  and  in  our  right  minds,  like  little 
children,  we  should  bow  in  secret  prayer,  and, 
our  Father  who  seeth  in  secret  will  reward  us 
openly.  When  we  sit  down  to  our  bountiful 
tables,  on  the  Sabbaths  and  on  the  week-days :  we 
should  never  fail  to  ask  God's  blessing  upon  the 


84 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


provision  set  before  us :  and  after  we  have  eaten 
to  the  full  we  should  devoutly  give  thanks  to  the 
Giver  of  all  good,  for  supplying  our  needs  from 
day  to  day.  When  the  proper  hour  has  arrived, 
we  should  joyfully  turn  our  foot  to  the  sanctuary, 
where,  with  enrapture  of  soul,  we  will  join  in  the 
celebration  of  God's  praise,  and  prayerfully  listen 
to  the  reading  and  preaching  of  the  Word.  After 
service  we  should  turn  to  our  homes  to  engage  in 
the  reading  of  religious  journals,  and  good  books, 
but  more  especially  the  Holy  Bible ; — with  no  time 
anywhere  for  the  sandwiching  in  of  a  Sunday 
newspaper.  We  also  recommend  that  much  time 
be  spent  in  holy  meditation,  with  ample  time  also 
for  all  real  works  of  necessity  and  mercy.  There 
must  be  abundant  time,  moreover,  for  catechumen 
exercises,  that  we  may  be  able  thereby  to  bring  up 
our  children  ''in  the  nurture,  fear  and  admonition 
of  the  Lord."  Let  this  wholesome  fact  also  be 
kept  in  constant  memory:  It  should  require  as 
much  thunder,  and  lightning,  and  hail  and  rain 
to  keep  us  from  Church  on  Sabbath,  as  it  does  to 
keep  us  from  our  places  of  business  on  Monday. 
When  the  Sabbath  is  drawing  to  a  close,  we  should 
re-assemble  around  the  family  altar  and  engage 
once  more  in  the  blessed  exercises  in  family  wor- 
ship.   When  we  have  returned  to  our  bed-cham- 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


85 


bers,  we  should  reverently  bow  once  more  in  se- 
cret prayer :  and,  when  once  again  our  heads  press 
the  downy  pillows,  just  before  dropping  into  un- 
consciousness in  slumber,  we  should  softly  whisper 
in  the  ear  of  our  Saviour  the  prayer  of  gratitude 
and  thanksgiving  that  we  have  been  permitted  to 
make  another  Sabbath  day's  journey  toward  the 
Celestial  City.  We  believe  this  outline  to  be  in 
accord  with  the  mind  of  Christ  as  to  what  consti- 
tutes— 

A  WELL-SPENT  SABBATH. 

There  is  a  suitable  Golden  Text,  for  every  Sab- 
bath-school lesson  and  for  every  paragraph  of 
Scripture.  And,  almost  every  verse  of  Scripture 
may  be  said  to  contain  a  key-word,  which  if  we 
are  wise  enough  to  be  able  to  select,  will  be  of 
great  advantage  in  unlocking  and  unfolding  the 
mind  of  Christ  concerning  any  and  every  great 
question.  In  the  verses  now  under  consideration, 
we  desire  to  discover  the  mind  of  Christ,  as  to 
what  constitutes  a  well-spent  Sabbath. 

The  great  prophet  Isaiah,  as  he  was  moved  by 
the  Holy  Ghost,  was  instructed  to  cry  aloud  and 
spare  not  against  four  dominant  National  sins, 
viz. :  Idolatry,  oppression,  drunkenness  and  Sab- 
bath-breaking.   The  Lord  saw  the  waywardness 


86 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


of  the  Congregation  of  Israel  in  transgressing 
against  the  law  of  the  Sabbath.  The  Lord  ex- 
pressed His  mind  as  is  recorded  in  the  thirteenth 
and  fourteenth  verses  of  the  fifty-eighth  chapter 
of  Isaiah.  He  saw  that  the  great  body  of  the  peo- 
ple had  turned  aside  after  iniquity,  and  He  marked 
the  way  of  the  transgressors.  In  the  days  of 
Isaiah,  and  in  the  days  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  about 
the  only  way  men  could  arrive  in  perdition  was  to 
walk  there.  The  following  may  be  regarded  as 
a  literal  rendering  of  the  mind  of  Christ  touching 
this  question :  ''Wide  is  the  gate,  and  broad  is 
the  way  that  leadeth  to  destruction,  and  many 
there  be  that  walk  therein."  He  saw  that  the  mul- 
titudes were  out  after  their  own  pleasure  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  that  their  feet  were  turned  in  the  di- 
rection of  evil.  Observing  the  wayward  feet  of 
the  transgressors.  He  said  unto  the  great  prophet : 
"Cry  aloud  and  spare  not."  Say  unto  the  people : 
"Turn  ye ;  turn  ye !  Why  will  ye  die,  O  house  of 
Israel?  *  *  *  F-o-o-t  is  the  Key- word  in 
the  turnings  of  the  congregation  of  Israel,  as  re- 
lates to  all  matters  of  transgression.  If  thou  wilt 
turn  away  thy  f-o-o-t  from  doing  thy  pleasure  on 
my  holy  day,  etc.  And,  why  does  God  notice  the 
way  transgressors  choose  to  turn  their  foot  upon 
the  Sabbaths?    Why  does  the  shipmaster  turn 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


87 


the  little  helm  on  the  ship  ?  When  the  great  ship 
at  sea  is  tempest-tossed,  it  is  a  very  important 
matter,  how  the  shipmaster  adjust  the  helm.  He 
may  so  adjust  the  helm  that  the  ship  with  her 
precious  cargo  may  be  dashed  to  pieces  upon  the 
rock-bound  coast;  or,  he  may  so  adjust  the  helm 
that  she  will  turn  about  at  his  pleasure,  and  pass 
out  upon  the  broad  bosom  of  the  great  deep,, 
where  she  will  outride  the  storm  in  safety ;  and  at 
last  arrive  in  the  desired  haven  with  her  precious 
cargo  of  human  freight.  In  like  manner  the  foot 
is  the  helm  to  the  human  body.  Whithersoever 
the  foot  turneth,  thither  the  whole  body  will  turn, 
and  convey  the  soul  that  is  within  to  the  same  des- 
tination. The  people  were  walking  in  the  broad 
road  to  perdition  in  the  days  of  the  great  prophet 
Isaiah,  and  the  Lord  instructed  him  to  invite  them 
to  turn  away  their  foot  from  doing  their  own 
pleasure  on  the  holy  Sabbaths ;  and,  instead  there- 
of, to  turn  their  foot  to  the  sanctuary — to  the  place 
of  prayer,  and  finally  into  the  golden  streets  of  the 
New  Jerusalem.  In  our  day  there  are  many 
ways  of  turning  the  foot  in  the  direction  of  sin 
and  death,  besides  walking  therein.  Walking,  in- 
deed, in  the  ways  of  evil  on  the  Sabbath,  was  the 
antiquated,  old-time  method  of  slowly  passing  in 
the  direction  of  eternal  ruin;  and  yet,  the  condi- 


88 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


tions  became  so  alarming,  that  Isaiah  was  in- 
structed to  cry  aloud  and  spare  not.  And,  when 
we  behold  in  our  day  upon  the  Sabbaths,  the  mul- 
titudes of  people  in  swifter  locomotion,  in  the  use 
of  modern  means  of  rapid  transit,  in  the  turning 
of  their  foot  in  the  mad  rush  in  the  direction  of 
eternal  destruction;  how  much  more  intensely 
vehement  should  be  the  cry  of  all  God's  embas- 
sadors :  Turn  ye ;  Turn  ye ;  Why  will  ye  die,  O 
house  of  America !  When  the  bicycle  craze  was 
at  its  climax ;  it  is  estimated  that  during  the  twen- 
ty-four hours  on  the  pleasant  summer  Sabbaths, 
in  the  Greater  New  York;  as  many  as  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  persons  were  estimated  to 
turn  their  foot  on  the  treadle  after  their  own  pleas- 
ure on  the  Lord's  most  holy  day.  Nearly  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  persons  are  now  en- 
gaged in  turning  their  foot  after  their  own  pleas- 
ure, in  the  publishing,  exposing  for  sale,  selling 
and  delivering  Sunday  newspapers  in  our  coun- 
try on  the  Sabbath.  There  is  more  of  secu- 
larizing power  in  one  square  inch  of  the  Sun- 
day newspaper,  than  in  one  square  inch  of  any- 
thing the  devil  has  in  this  world.  And,  since  the 
Sunday  newspaper  is  surfaced  by  square  measure  ; 
it  may  very  appropriately  be  designated  as,  the 
devil's  square  measure,  for  the  speedy  landing  of 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


89 


its  victims  in  perdition.  It  is  also  estimated,  that 
there  are  now  directly  interested  in  the  active  man- 
agement of  the  liquor  traffic  in  our  country,  one 
million  five  hundred  thousand  persons.  The  per- 
sons engaged  in  this  nefarious  traffic,  are  not  sat- 
isfied with  the  operating  and  turning  of  their  foot 
in  the  business  six  days  in  the  week ;  but,  through 
the  activities  of  their  advance  agents — Bishop 
Potter,  Dr.  Rainsford,  Dr.  Parkhurst,  Attorney 
General  Jerome  and  others,  they  are  besieging 
our  legislatures  to  authorize  them  to  operate  the 
saloons  on  the  Sabbath.  Strong  drink  is  rated  by 
cubic-measure,  and  there  is  more  of  damning 
power  in  one  cubic  inch  of  adulterated  rum,  than 
in  one  cubic  inch  of  anything  the  devil  has  in  this 
world ;  and,  the  use  of  the  devil's  cubic  measure, 
will  result  in  the  eternal  damnation  of  more  souls 
in  a  single  year,  than  the  above  named  dignitaries 
are  likely  to  bring  into  saving  relationship  to 
Christ,  if  they  were  to  continue  to  preach  for  a 
Millennium.  Moreover  when  we  consider  the 
armies  that  are  now  engaged  in  the  United  States 
mail  service ;  and  in  the  management  of  our  great 
railroads  in  inter-state  commerce,  Sunday  excur- 
sions, and  such  like ;  together  with  the  four  mil- 
lion five  hundred  thousand  adult  white  and  black 
slaves,  that  are  now  forced  by  the  insatiable  greed 


90  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 

of  the  combined  heads  of  capital  to  perform  seven 
days'  labor  for  less  than  six  days'  pay,  all  of  which 
by  fraud  and  iniquity  results  in  a  general  hold-up 
of  the  masses ;  is  it  not  high  time  that  all  mighty 
men  of  God  should  cry  aloud  and  spare  not,  say- 
ing :  Turn  ye ;  Turn  ye ;  Why  will  ye  die,  O 
house  of  America !  Is  it  any  marvel  then,  that 
the  Lord  stoops  to  observe  the  wayward  turn  of 
the  foot  of  the  American  people  on  the  holy  Sab- 
baths? The  way  a  man  chooses  to  wink  his  eye. 
to  turn  his  hand  or  foot  on  the  Sabbath  is  a  defi- 
nite index  to  his  character.  Indeed  it  often  fore- 
casts that  he  shall  eventually  land  in  the  States 
prison,  or  on  the  gallows  and  in  perdition.  Every 
turn  of  a  man's  foot  on  the  Sabbath,  also  marks 
the  character  of  his  citizenship.  We  are  at  times 
mortified  and  forced  to  hang  our  heads  for  very 
shame,  that  many  of  our  United  States  Senators 
and  Representatives ;  after  sitting  all  day  long  in 
legislative  session  on  the  Sabbaths ;  have  left  the 
halls  of  legislative  council  in  the  evening  so 
beastly  drunk ;  that  it  required  two  assistants — 
one  on  either  side,  to  escort  certain  of  them  to 
the  cab,  when  the  day's  sessions  were  at  an  end. 

SETTING  THE  PACE. 

Colonel  Roosevelt  set  the  pace  for  the  impetu- 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


91 


ous  dash  at  San  Juan  Hill.  It  was  done  without 
the  wisdom  of  careful  reconnoissance.  He  and  his 
courageous  followers  were  saved  from  being  cut 
to  pieces  by  the  timely  support  of  a  regiment  of 
colored  soldiers.  Truly,  the  dashing  pace  was 
heroic,  but  the  valiant  and  timely  support  was 
heroism.  And  here  lies  historic  room  for  the  di- 
viding of  honors. 

A  KIND  PROVIDENCE  FOLLOWED  BY  INGRATITUDE. 

The  same  spirit  of  impetuous  dash  recently 
brought  the  presidential  party  into  collision  with 
an  electric  car ;  where  one  man  was  killed  outright, 
and  where  the  President  was  wounded  and  bleed- 
ing in  head  and  Hmb.  It  appears  that  this  inci- 
dent, where  the  President  narrowly  escaped  with 
his  life,  was  not  followed  by  a  marked  degree  of 
gratitude  to  Christ  the  King.  A  few  weeks  later 
President  Roosevelt,  on  a  Sabbath  morning,  was 
again  on  the  dash.  He  stepped  from  the  plat- 
form of  a  passenger  train,  about  eight  o'clock  A. 
M.  He  was  met  at  the  station  by  a  regiment  of 
cavalry.  The  officers  and  soldiers  desired  to 
keep  up  the  representation  of  a  rough-rider  Presi- 
dent. In  a  moment  he  was  mounted  upon  one  of 
the  finest  steeds.  With  hurrahs  and  cheers  he 
was  on  the  wing  again.    He  was — 


92 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


Setting  the  Pace  for  the  entire  regiment  at 
neck-break  speed.  In  the  thunderous  dash  for 
about  one  and  one-half  miles  the  President  led 
the  van  to  the  field  of  review.  A  number  of  the 
troopers  were  thrown  from  their  horses  and  re- 
quired hospital  treatment.  At  the  field  of  re- 
view the  President  was  entertained  by  muster, 
and  parade  and  an  exhibition  in  the  pleasing  new 
drill  in  calisthenics  for  about  an  hour  and  a  half. 
He  expressed  himself  as  exceedingly  well  pleased  ; 
after  which  he  enjoyed  the  happy  privilege  of  din- 
ing with  the  officers,  and  visiting  with  officers  and 
soldiers.  Thus  a  large  portion  of  the  holy  Sab- 
bath was  spent,  and  in  the  evening  the  President 
was  privileged  with  attendance  at  church,  where 
he  was  wont  to  bow  his  head  with  the  devout  wor- 
shipers. We  are  sorry  at  the  President's  disre- 
gard for  the  sanctity  of  the  Sabbath.  In  this  par- 
ticular he  has  given  his  prestige  to  the  side  of  the 
lawless,  the  vulgar  and  the  profane.  Where  is 
the  spirit  of  a  Washington,  a  Lincoln,  a  Garfield, 
touching  the  important  question  of  the  Sabbath 
rest?  The  President's  sin  seems  to  have  been 
written  in  his  chastisement.  If  I  were  a  Chris- 
tian physician ;  I  would  diagnose  his  case  as  fol- 
lows: The  ungrateful  limb  that  was  wounded 
in  the  trolley  disaster,  which  afterwards  became 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


93 


the  unhallowed  limb  in  the  cavalry  dash,  was  re- 
marked by  Providence,  as,  the  inflamed  limb  re- 
quiring surgical  treatment,  resulting  in  the  can- 
celing of  his  western  program,  and  the  humiliating 
return  to  Washington,  where  he  has  had  ample 
time  for  repentance,  and  where  he  may  possibly 
have  the  desire  of  his  soul  quenched  between  the 
two  fires  of  the  eastern  and  western  doctrine  con- 
cerning trusts  and  tariff  revision.  King  Emanuel 
— in  the  irresistible  sway  of  his  royal  scepter  in  a 
series  of  providences,  may  yet  move  the  President 
in  some  degree  at  least,  to  atone  for  his  impetuous 
sin,  by  making  definite  recognition  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  in  his  next  Thanksgiving  Proclama- 
tion. The  German  Turners  and  The  Ameri- 
can Secular  Union,  both  of  which  are  now 
mighty  national  organizations,  have  resolved  that 
they  will  never  cease  their  effort,  until  they  have 
succeeded  in  abrogating  our  Sabbath  laws  in  every 
State  in  the  Union.  O  when  will  the  entire 
church  of  Christ  awake  in  defense  of  her  own  life, 
and  in  defense  of  our  every  cherished  institution ! 

EVIDENCES    OF  CONVERSION. 

Love  for  the  Sabbath  and  the  joyful  turning  of 
the  foot  of  a  people  to  the  sanctuary,  may  be  taken 
as  evidences  of  conversion.    When  a  person 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


ceases  to  do  his  own  carnal  pleasure  on  the  Lord's 
Day,  and  as  a  matter  of  his  own  volition,  he  turns 
his  foot  to  the  house  of  prayer :  he  is  either  a  new 
creature  in  Christ  Jesus,  or,  soon  will  be,  if  he 
continues  to  make  progress  in  the  direction  of 
heaven.  A  person  becomes  a  new  creature  in 
Christ  Jesus,  very  soon  before  he  comes  to  have  a 
marked  degree  of  love  and  respect  for  the  Sab- 
bath, or,  very  soon  thereafter.  When  he  is  able, 
from  the  depths  of  his  soul,  to  make  the  three-fold 
declaration,  as  is  found  in  the  Scripture  text:  to 
me, — "The  Sabbath  is  a  delight;  and  the  holy  of 
the  Lord  honourable:"  we  believe  the  Lord  will 
honor  him  with  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  im- 
mediate conversion,  resulting  in  a  life  of  conse- 
cration. When  he  can  truly  say,  the  holy  Sab- 
bath with  all  its  benign  influences  and  sacred 
privileges,  is  the  joy  of  my  life;  it  is  the  blessed 
holy  day  of  the  Lord;  and  I  count  the  Sabbath, 
not  only  an  honorable  institution  in  itself,  as  it 
comes  once  every  seven  days,  freshly  coined  from 
the  mint  of  heaven ;  but  I  now  count  it  a  matter 
of  the  highest  honor  and  privilege,  instead  of  be- 
ing numbered  with  transgressors,  to  be  found  in 
communion  and  fellowship  with  the  children  of 
God,  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  the  Sabbath,  to- 
gether with  all  its  sacred  rights,  institutions  and 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


95 


privileges.  Such  wholesome  reflection,  should  re- 
sult in  great  consolation  to  persons  of  all  ages, 
who  find  themselves  in  possession  of  such  blessed 
experience.  It  should  result  in  great  exaltation 
of  soul  also ;  for,  God  has  announced  that  He  will 
cause  all  such  persons : — ''To  ride  upon  the  high 
places  of  the  earth."  This  means,  no  doubt,  that 
all  persons  in  this  relationship  to  God,  and  Christ, 
and  the  Sabbath, — shall  not  need  to  go  through 
the  world,  as  it  were,  limping  and  on  crutches. 
They  shall  be  made  to  ride  upon  the  high  places 
of  the  earth.  That  is,  the  person  will  be  ex- 
alted in  the  estimation  of  God,  angels  and  men. 
He  will  be  exalted  in  the  mind  and  hearts  of  the 
higher  intelligences  in  all  worlds.  He  will  be  so 
divinely  directed  in  his  vocation  and  calling;  as 
to  be  speedily  exalted  in  the  estimation  of  all  good 
people.  He  will  even  come  to  be  exalted  in  the 
estimation  of  bad  men  and  devils ;  when  they  in- 
directly come  in  contact  with  the  source  from 
which  he  derives  his  power.  Thus  the  Lord  ex- 
alted Abraham,  and  Moses,  and  Elijah,  and  Peter, 
and  Paul,  and  Knox,  and  Hale,  and  Gladstone 
and  Frances  E.  Willard.  The  Lord  of  the  Sab- 
bath will  not  only  cause  His  people  "To  ride  upon 
the  high  places  of  the  earth but  He  will  also, 
"Feed  them  with  the  heritage  of  Jacob."  The 


96 


CHRISTIAN!  GOVERNMENT 


great  seal  of  heaven  is  affixed.  The  decree  has 
gone  forth.  "The  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken 
it."    He  will  indeed — 

"feed  them  with  the  heritage  of  JACOB." 

In  covenant  relationship,  this  was  the  heritage 
of  Abraham;  which  was  the  heritage  of  Isaac, 
which  was  the  heritage  of  Jacob,  which  was  the 
heritage  of  God's  covenant  people,  which  was  a 
land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey.  Milk,  the 
truest  type  of  all  foods ;  honey  the  sweetest  of  all 
sweets.  Blessed  inheritance.  Milk  and  honey, 
the  truest  types  of  all  spiritual  and  new  covenant 
blessing,  procured  by  the  atoning  death  of  Christ 
upon  the  cross,  and  designed  from  the  councils  of 
eternity  for  the  nurturing  of  the  souls  of  His  peo- 
ple unto  eternal  life.  The  land  of  Canaan  itself, 
also  being  a  type  of  the  heavenly  Canaan,  where 
an  innumerable  company  of  the  redeemed,  to- 
gether with  Christ  in  the  presence  of  the  holy 
angels,  are  to  enjoy  one  unending  Sabbath  in  the 
immediate  vision  and  fruition  of  God. 


I  JESUS  IS  LORD  I 


of  the 


SABBATH  I 

DAY  of  REST  ||  DAY  of  WORSHIP 

r^MM.-^  TO  "^.-^M.-^.-^MM.-^.^.  FOR  ^M.-^M.-^ 

ALL  PEOPLE 


>5=r^  IfcrC^^  e=C^  >=C^  «=C^  >=C  =<^^ 


8 


Sabbath  Legislation 

if 


THECONSTITOTION 

THE  MORAL  LAW  i 


PART  SECOND— CHAPTER  III. 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  ON  THE  SABBATH 
OR 

THE  SABBATH  FOR  MAN. 

Mark  second  chapter ;  twenty-third  and  twenty- 
eighth  verses ;  and  Mark  third  chapter ;  first  and 
sixth  verses. 

On  a  certain  Sabbath  Jesus  and  His  disciples 
were  on  their  way  to  church.  The  Jewish  syna- 
gogues were  the  churches  in  those  days.  They 
were  the  nearest  semblance  to  our  modern 
churches.  The  custom  of  the  Saviour  was  to 
enter  into  the  synagogues  on  the  Sabbaths  and 
to  teach  the  people. 

Jesus  and  His  disciples  were  on  their  way  to 
church  without  breakfast.  It  is  written,  "And 
His  disciples  were  a  hungered  and  began  to  pluck 
the  ears  of  corn,  and  to  eat."  We  have  no  certain 
knowledge  as  to  the  real  reason  for  their  being 
hungry.  We  can  only  assign  a  probable  reason. 
The  Saviour  having  entered  upon  His  ministry, 
once  called  the  attention  of  the  people  to  the  fact, 
that  He  had  not  a  pillow  that  He  could  claim  His 
98 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


99 


own.  In  pathetic  language  he  was  heard  to  de- 
clare :  *The  foxes  have  holes,  and  the  birds  of  the 
heaven  have  nests ;  but  the  Son  of  Man  hath  not 
where  to  lay  his  head."  "For  ye  know  the  grace 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that,  though  he  was 
rich,  yet  for  your  sakes  he  became  poor  that  ye 
through  His  poverty  might  become  rich."  He 
was  homeless  and  homeless  persons  are  often  hun- 
gry. His  disciples  had  forsaken  all  to  follow  Him 
and  were  in  like  condition  with  Himself.  We 
will  make  mention  of  another  probable  reason  for 
their  being  hungry.  Perhaps  they  all  had  lodged 
the  night  before  in  the  ideal  home  at  Bethany — 
the  home  of  Mary  and  Martha  and  Lazarus — 
which  may  account  for  their  taking  their  departure 
in  the  morning  without  breakfast.  Our  readers 
may  feel  somewhat  surprised,  that  we  should  thus 
shadow  the  fair  name  of  the  delightful  home  at 
Bethany.  Our  line  of  thought  is  suggested  by  an 
incident  which  may  have  occurred  at  the  tea-table 
the  evening  before.  Martha — the  model  house- 
keeper— came  unto  the  Saviour,  in  a  somewhat 
petulant  temper,  and  said  unto  Him,  "Lord,  dost 
thou  not  care  that  my  sister  did  leave  me  to  serve 
alone?  Bid  her,  therefore  that  she  help  me." 
Our  hearts  are  touched  at  the  pathetic,  yet  gentle 
rebuke  of  the  Saviour,  ''Martha,  Martha,  thou  art 


lOO 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


anxious  and  troubled  about  many  things :  but  one 
thing  is  needful:  for  Mary  hath  chosen  the  good 
part,  which  shall  not  be  taken  away  from  her." 
If  this  incident  occurred  just  before  their  sitting 
down  to  the  tea-table  the  evening  before ;  Jesus 
may  have  said  unto  His  disciples  on  retiring  that 
night :  if  it  has  cost  Martha  so  much  worldly  anx- 
iety and  care  in  waiting  upon  her  Lord  and  His 
disciples  at  the  tea-table :  we  will  quietly  take  our 
departure  in  the  morning  without  breakfast,  not 
through  resentment,  but  to  teach  her  a  lesson  she 
will  never  forget;  not  to  be  so  much  concerned 
with  carnal  things  in  the  entertainment  of  stran- 
gers, but  like  Mary,  begin  earnestly  to  inquire 
after  the  more  vital  interests  of  her  immortal  soul. 
This  incident  has  its  own  moral  and  may  have  been 
the  occasion  of  the  Saviour  and  His  disciples'  hun- 
ger on  the  Sabbath  morning  referred  to  in  the 
Scripture  lesson.  It  fully  answers  our  purpose, 
however,  to  announce  that  they  were  hungry  and 
on  their  way  to  church.  In  the  parallel  reading 
in  Matthew  it  is  plainly  mentioned  that,  "At  that 
season  Jesus  went  on  the  Sabbath  day  through  the 
corn  fields ;  and  His  disciples  were  an  hungered, 
and  began  to  pluck  ears  of  corn,  and  to  eat." 
Who  among  all  our  readers,  will  be  willing  like 
the  Saviour  and  His  disciples,  to  manifest  such  a 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


lOI 


profound  interest  in  the  Holy  Sabbath  and  the 
worship  of  God  in  the  sanctuary,  as  to  be  ever 
ready  to  go  to  church — breakfast  or  no  breakfast  ? 

The  Pharisees  were  also  on  their  way  to  church. 
They  had  their  splendid  houses  in  which  to  dwell, 
and  were  no  doubt  sumptuously  and  well  fed  on 
this  occasion ;  unless  indeed,  they  were  fasting  to 
be  seen  of  men,  which  was  their  self-gratifying 
custom.  These  same  Pharisees,  observing  the 
conduct  of  the  disciples  in  breakfasting  from  the 
harvest-field,  regarded  the  same  as  a  direct  viola- 
tion of — 

THE  LAW  OF  THE  SABBATH. 

They  regarded  the  acts  of  the  disciples  in  pluck- 
ing the  ears  of  corn,  rubbing  them  in  their  hands 
and  the  blowing  away  of  the  chaff  as  miniature 
acts  of  reaping,  and  threshing  and  winnowing 
grain  on  the  Sabbath.  They  were  filled  with  in- 
dignation, and  had  it  not  been  for  the  authority 
of  the  Caesars,  they  would,  no  doubt,  have  at- 
tempted to  have  stoned  them  to  death.  In  the 
consuming  ire  of  their  souls,  they  said  unto  the 
Saviour,  "Blehold,  why  do  they  on  the  Sabbath 
day  that  which  is  not  lawful  ?" 


1Q2  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


THE  REPLY  OF  THE  SAVIOUR. 

"And  He  said  unto  them,  Did  ye  never  read 
what  David  did,  when  he  had  need,  and  was  an 
hungered,  he,  and  they  that  were  with  him  ?  How 
he  entered  into  the  house  of  God  when  Abiathar 
was  high  priest,  and  did  eat  the  shrewbread,  which 
is  not  lawful  to  eat  save  for  the  priests,  and  gave 
also  to  them  that  were  with  him?"  The  historic 
incident  here  referred  to,  has  reference  to  David 
and  his  faithful  followers  on  the  occasion  of  his 
flight  from  the  presence  of  tne  persecutor — King 
Saul.  David  and  the  common  people  that  were 
with  him  were  ready  to  perish  with  hunger.  In 
their  extraordinary  case  of  necessity,  they  were 
permitted  to  eat  of  the  hallowed  bread,  which 
was  by  Divine  authority  set  apart  for  the  priests 
only.  The  blessed  Saviour  herein  imparts  to 
the  Pharisees  a  new  and  important  lesson.  He 
teaches  them  that,  that  which  is  unlawful  to  do 
in  the  ordinary  case  with  men,  becomes  lawful 
in  the  extraordinary  case.  Had  David  and  the 
common  people  that  were  with  him,  presumptu- 
ously partaken  of  the  hallowed  bread,  not  being 
hungry,  it  is  altogether  probable  they  would 
have  been  smitten  dead  upon  the  spot,  as  were 
once   Nadab  and  Abihu   for  offering  strange 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


103 


fire.  But  in  the  extraordinary  case  of  their  ne- 
cessity, an  extraordinary  Saviour  in  the  exercise 
of  His  sovereign  love  and  compassion,  was  wil- 
ling to  extend  to  David  and  his  followers,  as  well 
as  to  His  own  disciples  extraordinary  leniency 
and  forbearance  in  perfect  adaptation  to  their 
needs.  Our  blessed  Saviour  in  justifying  the 
conduct  of  David  and  his  faithful  followers, 
thereby  justified  the  conduct  of  His  own  disci- 
ples in  taking  their  breakfast  from  the  harvest- 
field  on  the  Sabbath,  when  they  had  nowhere 
else  to  get  it.  We  will  continually  bless  and 
praise  the  name  of  the  Father,  that  our  Saviour 
justifies  real  works  of  necessity  upon  the  Sab- 
bath day.  He  is  in  possession  of  undying  sympa- 
thy for  hungry  men,  and  for  a  race  weakened  by 
sin.  The  Pharisee  believed  he  had  performed 
his  whole  duty  to  God  and  man,  if  in  a  cold  legal 
life  he  observed  but  the  outward  letter  of  the 
law.  He  had  no  charity  for  human  extremity 
resulting  in  human  necessity. 

The  mind  of  Christ  is  directly  opposed  to  the 
mind  of  the  Pharisee.  He  requires  that  we  con- 
tinually observe  both  the  spirit  and  letter  of  the 
law,  in  its  adaptation  to  all  real  human  neces- 
sities. We  should  continually  bless  and  praise 
the  name  of  God  the  Father,  that  His  Son  our 


104 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


Saviour  is  not  a  Pharisee.  We  will  now  direct 
the  attention  of  our  readers  to — 

ANOTHER   NOTABLE  OCCURRENCE, 

When  they  had  arrived  at  the  synagogue, 
Jesus  discovered  a  man  in  the  congregation  who 
had  a  withered  hand.  His  great  heart  went  im- 
mediately out  to  the  man,  whom  he  at  once  in- 
vited to  stand  forth.  The  Pharisees  ever  on  the 
alert,  watched  Jesus  whether  He  would  heal  the 
man  on  the  Sabbath  day,  not  that  they  cared  par- 
ticularly for  the  Sabbath,  nor  that  they  should 
have  a  splendid  opportunity  to  praise  God  for  the 
deed  of  mercy,  for  it  is  written :  *'And  the  Phari- 
sees went  out,  and  straightway  with  the  Hero- 
dians  took  counsel  against  Him,  how  they  might 
destroy  Him."  They  had  but  little,  if  any  under- 
standing of  the  beatitude,  "Blessed  are  the  mer- 
ciful :  for  they  shall  obtain  mercy."  They  would 
rather  that  a  person  should  die  from  some  mis- 
erable ailment  than  that  some  great  philanthro- 
pist should  perform  a  cure  on  the  Sabbath  day. 
There  was  deep-seated  murder  in  their  hearts, 
which  might  readily  be  discovered  in  the  danger- 
flashes  from  their  eyes.  Jesus  immediately  de- 
tected in  their  countenances  the  evil  intents  and 
purposes  of  their  hearts.    That  He  was  able  to 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


105 


read  their  innermost  thoughts,  is  clearly  indi- 
cated in  the  parallel  reading  in  the  Gospel  ac- 
cording to  Matthew,  "And  He  said  unto  them, 
What  man  shall  there  be  of  you,  that  shall  have 
one  sheep,  and  if  this  fall  into  a  pit  on  the  Sab- 
bath day,  will  he  not  lay  hold  on  it,  and  lift  it 
out?  How  much  then  is  a  man  of  more  value 
than  a  sheep !  Wherefore  it  is  lawful  to  do  good 
on  the  Sabbath  day."  In  this  part  of  the  Bible 
narrative,  we  are  made  to  see  clearly,  how  Jesus 
continually  exercises  the  profoundest  sympathy 
for  all  afflicted  persons :  while  at  the  same  time, 
in  the  following  language,  He  was  heard  to  re- 
buke the  envious  Pharisees,  "Ye  blind  guides, 
which  strain  out  the  gnat,  and  swallow  the  camel." 
Jesus  performed  cures,  not  only  upon  the  Sab- 
baths but  upon  the  week-days  as  well.  He  heal- 
ed the  impotent  man,  the  palsied  man,  the 
crooked  woman,  the  man  that  was  born  blind  and 
the  man  with  the  withered  hand,  all  on  the  Sab- 
bath days,  and  in  every  case,  He  stirred  the  mur- 
derous criticism  of  the  Pharisees.  When  He 
performed  cures  on  the  week-days,  the  chronic 
rebels  were  heard  to  complain,  "By  Beelzebub 
the  prince  of  the  devils  casteth  He  out  devils." 
Jesus  had  invited  the  man  with  the  withered 
hand  to  stand  forth.    He  had  engaged  in  the 


io6  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


above  controversy  with  the  Pharisees:  and,  look- 
ing upon  them  with  righteous  indignation; — 
"And  when  He  had  looked  round  about  on  them 
with  anger,  being  grieved  at  the  hardening  of 
their  heart,  he  saith  unto  the  man.  Stretch  forth 
thy  hand.  And  he  stretched  it  forth :  and  his 
hand  was  restored."  Every  artery  filled  with  the 
crimson  fresh  life-liquid,  and  every  nerve  tin- 
gled with  renewed  sensation.  In  this  wonderful 
New  Testament  narrative,  we  have  a  vivid  ex- 
hibition of  the  hardness  of  the  hearts  of  unre- 
generate  men,  as  was  continually  manifest  in 
the  life  of  the  Pharisees.  We  have  also  the  more 
glorious  exhibition  of  the  infinite  love  and  com- 
passion of  our  blessed  Redeemer,  both  on  the 
Sabbaths  and  on  the  week-days,  for  all  persons 
sufiiering  from  hunger  or  disease.  The  study 
of  the  philanthropic  character  of  our  Saviour 
should  result  in  a  wonderful  uplift  in  the  sub- 
lime evolution  of  the  social  conscience,  in  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  on  earth. 

THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  ON  THE  SABBATH. 

It  is  the  plain  teaching  of  our  Lord  and  Sa- 
viour Jesus  Christ  in  His  tremendous  controver- 
sies with  the  Pharisees  that,  in  addition  to  our  de- 
votions, holy  meditations  and  the  reading  of  good 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


107 


books,  especially  of  the  Holy  Bible,  we  are  alto- 
gether justifiable  in  the  performance  of  real 
works  of  necessity  and  mercy  on  the  Sabbath 
days.  Works  of  necessity:  His  disciples  taking 
their  breakfast  from  the  harvest-field,  when  they 
had  nowhere  else  to  get  it.  Works  of  mercy : 
The  healing  of  the  crooked  woman,  the  palsied 
man,  the  man  who  was  born  blind  and  the  man 
having  the  withered  hand  all  on  the  Sabbath 
days.  The  mind  of  Christ  is  ever  found  to  be 
in  sharpest  conflict  with  the  mind  of  the  Phari- 
sees. We  should  ever  praise  and  magnify  the 
great  name  of  our  God :  that  our  new  covenant 
Redeemer  was  not  a  Pharisee.  We  should  re- 
joice evermore  that  His  great  heart  can  be  touch 
ed  with  sympathy  for  sufifering  humanity.  "For 
we  have  not  a  high  priest  that  cannot  be  touched 
with  the  feeling  of  our  infirmities ;  but  one  that 
hath  been  in  all  points  tempted  like  as  we  are, 
yet  without  sin."  We  have  a  Saviour  who  justi- 
fies real  works  of  necessity  and  mercy,  every- 
where and  all  the  time. 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS 
AS  TO 

REAL  WORKS  OF  NECESSITY  AND  MERCY. 

It  is  Sabbath  morning.   The  hour  for  the  pub- 


io8  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


lie  worship  of  God  has  arrived.  The  Sabbath 
bells  are  summoning  together  the  devout  wor- 
shipers. You  are  clothed  in  your  best  robe  and 
bonnet,  and  have  just  stepped  outside  your  own 
door  on  your  way  to  church.  It  is  your  supreme 
desire  to  unite  with  others  in  the  matter  of  prayer 
and  praise  and  to  listen  attentively  to  the  pro- 
claiming of  the  Gospel  message.  A  messenger 
approaches  in  breathless  haste  and  announces  that 
there  is  a  poor  family  in  town,  the  members  of 
which  have  had  nothing  to  eat  for  more  than 
three  days,  and  the  helpless  mother  and  children 
are  faintly  crying  to  heaven  for  bread.  The 
Lord  of  the  Sabbath  will  justify  you  in  turning 
about  and  in  re-entering  your  home  and  in  secur- 
ing a  basket  full  of  provision  and  in  journeying 
to  that  home  and  in  administering  provision  to 
the  world's  poor,  even  though  it  should  absent 
you  from  the  church  and  deprive  you  of  the  en- 
tire hour  of  worship.  If  on  another  Sabbath, 
when  on  your  way  to  church,  a  swift-running 
messenger  approaches  you  and  announces  that 
there  is  a  poor  widow  woman,  who  is  taken  with 
sudden  illness  and  is  suffering  from  excruciating 
pain  *  *  *  the  doctor  is  out  of  town  and 
she  has  no  friend  to  do  anything  to  relieve  her: 
the  Lord  of  the  Sabbath  will  justify  you  in  going 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


109 


and  ministering  to  her  like  an  angel  of 
mercy,  even  though  it  should  absent  you  all 
day  from  the  house  of  worship  and  even  from 
the  celebration  of  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper.  'The  Lord  loves  mercy  rather  than 
sacrifice."  Such  conduct  is  real  mercy.  Feed  the 
,  hungry  and  minister  to  the  sick  as  a  matter  of 
first  duty  and  worship  God  afterward.  When 
Jesus  had  performed  this  remarkable  cure  upon 
the  man  having  the  withered  hand  on  the  Sab- 
bath day,  the  vehement  wrath  of  the  Pharisees 
knew  no  bounds.  While  many  in  the  congrega- 
tion, no  doubt,  were  in  a  state  of  ecstacy,  and 
were  ready  to  leap  to  their  feet  and  shout,  Amen ! 
Alleluiah !  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest !  The 
Pharisees  were  so  intensely  indignant,  they  were 
not  able  to  wait  for  the  orderly  dismissal  of  the 
congregation  in  the  pronouncement  of  the  Old 
Testament  benediction.  They,  who  could  with- 
out any  compunction  of  conscience,  lift  a  sheep 
out  of  a  pit  on  the  Sabbath,  could  not  tolerate  the 
more  humane  conduct  of  the  Saviour,  in  healing 
the  crooked  woman,  the  palsied  man,  the  man 
that  was  born  blind  and  the  man  with  the  with- 
ered hand  on  the  Sabbaths ;  even  though  the 
logic  He  used  in  His  own  defense  was  absolutely 
unanswerable.  While  the  Pharisee  could  lead  an 


no  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 

ox  or  an  ass  to  the  watering  as  an  act  of  mercy  to 
the  poor  dumb  brute:  Jesus  could  say  unto  him, 
''And  ought  not  this  woman,  being  a  daughter  of 
Abraham,  whom  Satan  hath  bound  lo  these  eigh- 
teen years,  be  loosed  from  this  bond  on  the  Sab- 
bath day?"  While  the  Pharisees  were  ever  ready 
to  lift  a  sheep  out  of  a  pit  on  the  Sabbath,  as  an 
act  of  mercy  to  the  poor  dumb  brute :  Jesus  could 
say  unto  them,  ''And  how  much  is  a  man  better 
than  a  sheep?"  Notwithstanding  when  Jesus 
had  performed  a  cure  upon  the  man  having  a 
withered  hand,  in  a  public  meeting  on  the 
Sabbath  day,  the  Pharisees  in  a  white  heat 
of  passion  left  the  room.  "And  the  Pharisees  went 
forth,  and  straightway  took  counsel  with  the  He- 
rodians  against  Him,  how  they  might  destroy 
Him." 

THE  HERODIANS. 

And  who  were  the  Herodians?  We  are  all 
familiar  with  the  atrocious  conduct  of  the  bloody 
Herod,  when  he  slaughtered  all  the  little  children 
in  Bethlehem  of  Judea  from  two  years  old  and 
under,  in  his  attempt  to  slay  Jesus  when  he  was 
a  little  child.  The  Pharisees  joined  themselves 
with  the  murderous  followers  of  this  same  bloody 
Herod,  in  a  covenant  how  they  might  now  de- 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


Ill 


stroy  Jesus  when  he  had  grown  to  be  a  man,  and 
all  because  he  had  made  a  man  every  whit  whole 
on  the  Sabbath  day.  O  ye  hard  hearted  Phari- 
sees !  How  hardly  shall  ye  escape  the  damnation 
of  hell? 

THE  SABBATH  FOR  MAN. 

"And  He  said  unto  them,  the  Sabbath  was 
made  for  man,  and  not  man  for  the  Sabbath: 
Therefore  the  Son  of  Man  is  Lord  also  of  the 
Sabbath."  We  desire  to  call  the  attention  of  our 
readers  especially  to  the  clause — The  Sabbath 
was  made  for  man,  and  not  man  for  the  Sabbath. 
Shall  we  reverse  this  important  declaration  of  the 
Saviour?  Then  it  will  read,  the  man  was  made 
for  the  Sabbath  and  not  the  Sabbath  for  the  man. 
It  will  not  do  to  reverse  the  Divine  order.  God 
did  not  make  the  Sabbath  first,  and  then  make  a 
man  to  suit  the  Sabbath.  He  first  made  a  man 
to  suit  Himself,  and  immediately  thereafter  He 
made  a  Sabbath  to  suit  the  man.  God  rested 
from  the  exercise  of  His  creative  energy  on  the 
Sabbath :  and  man  being  created  in  the  image  of 
God  in  the  moral  qualities  of  his  soul,  was  com- 
manded to  be  like  God  in  His  regard  for 
the  sacred  day  of  rest.  God  performed 
six   splendid   days'   work   in   six   days.  At 


112  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


the  end  of  six  days,  He  saw  the  perfec- 
tion of  His  creative  desire  spread  out  before 
Him  in  universal  display.  At  the  early  dawn  of 
the  first  Sabbath,  in  the  very  beginning  of  the 
most  resplendent  day  the  world  ever  saw,  while 
the  Morning  Stars  did  sing  for  joy,  the  Triune 
God  did  complacently,  sweetly  rest.  It  was  then 
that  the  Word,  surrounded  by  enraptured  angelic 
hosts,  in  the  audience  of  the  one  man,  in  univer- 
sal language,  did  proclaim  all  very  good.  While 
the  vast  universe  was  freshly  animate  with  Di- 
vine energy,  it  was  not  only  appropriate  that  God 
should  rest,  but  that  man  should  spend  the  first 
entire  day  of  his  being  in  blissful  contemplation 
and  unutterable  adoration.  God  accomplished 
all  his  desire  in  six  days.  This  was  the  best  six 
days'  work  ever  accomplished.  It  was  unneces- 
sary that  He  should  exercise  His  creative  energy 
on  the  Sabbath.  God  did  set  for  us  the  example. 
He  worked  six  days  and  rested  one.  "For  in 
six  days  the  Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  and  on 
the  seventh  day  He  rested  and  was  refreshed." 
He  was  complacent,  satisfied, — not  weary  and 
rested.  'Tn  six  days  the  Lord  made  heaven  and 
earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is,  and  rested 
the  seventh  day:  wherefore  the  Lord  blessed  the 
Sabbath  day  and  hallowed  it."    He  then  com- 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


113 


manded  the  creature  fashioned  after  His  own 
image,  "Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it 
holy."  The  law  of  the  Sabbath  was  written  in  the 
very  fiber  of  man's  being,  more  than  four  thousand 
years  before  the  incarnation  of  the  Lord  of  the  Sab- 
bath. The  Lord  of  the  Sabbath  seemed  to  say  unto 
the  man :  Thou  art  in  the  likeness  of  God,  work  six 
days,  rest  one.  Work  six  days,  rest  one.  Work 
SIX  DAYS,  REST  ONE.  Be  obcdicut  unto  the  Divine 
command,  and  thou  shalt  attain  unto  God's  full 
blessing.  Be  obedient  unto  the  Divine  command, 
and  thou  wilt  accomplish  more  in  six  days,  work- 
ing reasonable  hours,  and  live  longer  to  enjoy 
the  fruits  of  your  labor;  than  if  like  the  notori- 
ous Atheist,  thou  shouldst  forget  God  and  regard 
all  days  alike,  and  labor  seven  days  in  the  week 
and  longer  hours  in  the  day.  This  statement 
seems  to  be  in  accord  with  the  declarations  of 
some  of  our  great  life  insurance  companies. 
These  great  business  corporations  seem  to  have 
arrived  at  their  conclusions,  without  ever  having 
looked  between  the  lids  of  the  Bible.  They  have 
declared  that,  "They  would  rather  take  risk  on 
the  life  of  the  average  Chritian  man,  who  is 
privileged  with  resting  one  day  in  seven,  in  ad- 
dition to  his  nightly  rest,  and  risk  his  living  three 
score  and  ten  years :  than  take  an  equal  risk  upon 


114  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


the  life  of  the  average  man,  who  is  forced  to  la- 
bor seven  days  in  the  week,  and  long  hours  in  the 
day,  and  risk  his  living  sixty  years."  How  ac- 
curately the  most  accurate  business  on  earth  com- 
putes the  mind  of  Christ  on  this  most  important 
question.  There  is  just  ten  years  of  Sabbaths 
in  three  score  and  ten  years.  Our  great  insur- 
ance companies  sound  the  tocsin,  and  we  would 
to  God,  that  the  entire  world  of  labor  might  take 
the  alarm  ere  it  be  too  late.  Will  our  hardy  sons  of 
toil  favor,  or  even  tolerate,  an  industrial  policy 
which  when  operated,  will  cut  short  ten  years,  the 
bread-earning  power  of  the  great  army  of  labor- 
ers? Will  they  favor,  or  even  tolerate  a  policy 
which  will  compel  them  to  labor  seven  days  in  the 
week  for  less  than  six  days'  pay  ?  Will  they  favor 
a  policy  that  will  furnish  a  little  carnal  amuse- 
ment to  the  beer-guzzling  Turners,  while  the  great 
army  of  labor  is  being  reduced  to  serfdom  ?  God 
pity  the  iniquitous  heads  of  capital,  that  can  tran- 
quilly sit  at  the  communion  table,  and  thank  heav- 
en that  they  are  not  like  the  poor  Publicans,  whom 
they  require  to  toil  seven  days  in  the  week  and 
long  hours  in  the  day, — for  less  than  six  days' 
pay.  "Go  to,  now,  ye  rich  men,  weep  and  howl 
for  your  miseries  that  shall  come  upon  you.  Your 
riches  are  corrupted,  and  your  garments  are  moth- 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


115 


eaten.  Your  gold  and  silver  is  cankered ;  and  the 
rust  of  them  shall  be  a  witness  against  you,  and 
shall  eat  your  flesh  as  it  were  fire.  Ye  have  heaped 
treasure  together  for  the  last  days.  Behold  the 
hire  of  'the  laborers  who  have  reaped  down  your 
fields,  which  is  of  you  kept  back  by  fraud,  crieth : 
and  the  cries  of  them  which  have  reaped  are  en- 
tered into  the  ears  of  the  Lord  of  Sabaoth.  Ye 
have  lived  in  pleasure  on  the  earth,  and  been  wan- 
ton :  ye  have  nourished  your  hearts,  as  in  a  day  of 
slaughter.  Ye  have  condemned  and  killed  the 
just;  and  he  does  not  resist  you.  *  *  *  Be 
patient  therefore,  brethren,  unto  the  coming  of 
the  Lord.  Heboid  the  husbandman  waiteth  for 
the  precious  fruit  of  the  earth,  and  hath  long 
patience  for  it,  until  he  receive  the  early  and  latter 
rain.  Be  ye  also  patient ;  stablish  your  hearts :  for 
the  coming  of  the  Lord  draweth  nigh."  Thus  to-day 
four  million  five  hundred  thousand  white  and  black 
adult  slaves  are  forced  by  the  merciless  trusts — 
the  wanton  heads  of  capital,  to  perform  excessive 
labor  seven  days  in  the  week  and  long  hours  in 
the  day,  for  less  than  six  days'  pay.  The  covetous 
heads  of  capital,  in  their  frantic  rush  to  grasp  the 
whole  world  of  material  wealth,  will  pay  their  out- 
raged employes  less  for  seven  days  and  long  hours 
of  service  than  the  Christian  capitalist  is  willing  to 


ii6  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


pay  for  six  days  and  reasonable  hours  of  labor. 
I  call  upon  all  the  sons  and  daughters  of  toil  in 
the  United  States  of  America,  ere  it  be  too  late, 
to  arise  in  the  true  spirit  of  your  inherent,  God- 
given  rights,  and  assert  your  eternal  independence 
in  the  establishment  of  the  security  of  your  day  of 
rest.  There  is  one  day  in  the  week  in  which  we 
should  know  no  master — saving  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ — the  supreme,  independent  Lord  of  the 
Sabbath. 

"the  sabbath  was  made  for  man/^ 

The  two  words — "was  made"  refer  to  the  insti- 
tution of  the  Sabbath  in  the  Garden  of  Eden.  We 
may  now  ask,  Of  what  use  could  the  Sabbath  be 
to  man  in  the  Garden  of  Eden,  in  his  original  state 
of  innocence  and  happiness  ?  We  answer.  It  was 
a  day  in  which  he  could  tranquilly  rest  and  enjoy 
sweet  fellowship  and  holy  comunion  with  his 
Maker,  in  the  cool  of  the  groves  which  were 
"God's  first  temples"  and  thereby  cherish  the 
Divine  likeness  in  which  he  was  created.  We  may 
also  inquire.  Of  what  use  could  the  Sabbath  be  to 
man  after  the  fall?  We  answer.  It  was  a  day  in 
which  he  might  seek  for  true  repentance,  and  the 
recovery  of  the  image  which  he  had  lost  in  the 
fall.    This  process  of  reasoning  seems  to  be  so 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


117 


true  to  the  great  plan  of  redemption:  that  it 
scarcely  seems  possible  that  a  man  can  be  saved, 
so  long  as  he  remains  hostile  to  the  benign  insti- 
tution of  the  Sabbath.  We  believe  there  is  not 
the  soul  of  a  single  redeemed  person  in  heaven  at 
this  moment, — of  a  person  who  died  in  impenitent 
rebellion  against  Jesus  and  the  Sabbath.  The  con- 
verse must  also  be  true.  We  believe  there  is  not 
the  soul  of  a  single  lost  person  in  perdition  at  this 
moment, — of  a  person  who  died  loving  Jesus  and 
the  Sabbath.  But  some  one  may  say,  "I  fear  you 
have  made  a  mistake.  How  about  the  thief  on  the 
cross  ?  I  believe  he  died  and  that  his  soul  went  to 
heaven,  and  perhaps  he  never  kept  a  Sabbath  in  his 
life, — for  thieves  in  general  do  not  remember  the 
Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy."  Our  critics  may  not 
hold  us  to  a  statement  which  we  did  not  make. 
We  did  not  say,  That  there  is  not  the  soul  of  a 
single  redeemed  person  in  heaven  at  this  moment, 
of  a  person  who  never  kept  a  Sabbath  in  his  life. 
Our  critics  are  responsible  for  this  illogical  and 
perverted  statement.  We  did  make  the  statement, 
and  we  now  repeat  the  same  with  accumulative 
emphasis.  We  believe  that  there  is  not  the  soul 
of  a  single  redeemed  person  in  heaven  at  this  mo- 
ment,— of  a  person  who  died  in  impenitent  rebel- 
lion against  Jesus  and  the  Sabbath.    The  thief 


Ii8  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


upon  the  cross  died,  and  his  soul  went  immedi- 
ately to  heaven:  but  he  did  not  die  in  rebellion 
against  Jesus  and  the  Sabbath.  When  he  saw  the 
wonderful  phenomena — the  heavens  grow  black 
as  sack-cloth  of  hair  at  noon-tide :  he  was  immedi- 
ately convinced  that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God. 
In  instantaneous  conversion,  from  the  warmest 
depths  of  a  loving  regenerate  soul  he  offered  the 
prayer,  *'Lord  remember  me  when  Thou  comest 
into  Thy  kingdom."  It  was  necessary  that  his 
prayer  should  be  immediately  answered,  for  the 
time  was  short.  *'And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  ver- 
ily I  say  unto  thee,  to-day  shalt  thou  be  with  Me 
in  paradise."  He  died  happy,  and  his  soul  soared 
aloft  into  the  realms  of  eternal  bliss,  and  perhaps 
he  had  never  kept  a  Sabbath  in  his  life ;  but  as 
we  have  already  remarked ;  he  did  not  die  in  re- 
bellion against  Jesus  and  the  Sabbath.  If  by 
some  miracle  his  life  had  been  spared  three  days 
longer,  and  he  had  been  let  down  from  the  cross ; 
he  would  have  kept  the  next  Sabbath  from  the 
supreme  motive  of  love  to  Christ.  The  individ- 
ual person  learns  to  remember  the  Sabbath  day 
to  keep  it  holy  very  soon  before  his  conversion,  or 
immediately  thereafter.  According  to  the 
economy  of  the  plan  of  human  redemption,  it 
would  be  difficult  for  man  to  be  saved  without  a 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


119 


Sabbath  in  his  life.  Surely  we  are  able  to  verify 
the  truth  of  the  above  statement.  There  is  not  the 
soul  of  a  single  redeemed  person  in  heaven  at  this 
moment,  of  a  person  who  died  in  rebellion  against 
Jesus  and  the  Sabbath.  Moreover.  There  is  not 
the  soul  of  a  single  lost  person  in  perdition  at  this 
moment,  of  a  person  who  died  loving  Jesus  and 
the  Sabbath.  The  great  and  important  question, 
of  how  a  person  wills  to  act  on  the  Sabbath,  seems 
not  only  to  truly  index  his  character,  but  to  in- 
dicate his  future  destiny.  It  appears  to  indicate 
his  position  in  the  judgment;  as  to  whether  he 
belongs  to  the  sheep  of  God's  own  pasture,  or  to 
the  goats  of  the  devil's  own  herding.  All  men 
should  come  to  regard  the  holy  Sabbath,  as  the 
fundamental  and  necessary  institution,  upon 
which,  all  Christian  endeavor  must  securely  rest, 
in  the  great  attempt  to  win  the  world  for  Christ. 
In  the  beginning — ^Jesus — the  blessed  Lord  of  the 
Sabbath,  hundreds  of  years  before  his  own  incar- 
nation, in  the  beneficence  of  His  gracious  charac- 
ter, gave  to  our  race,  fresh  from  the  mint  of 
heaven,  this  indispensable  institution. 


I20  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


THE  SABBATH  WAS  MADE  FOR  MAN. 

*  5}:        *        *  ♦ 

A  LOGICAL,  NATURAL  AND  SCRIPTURAL  REASON  FOR 
THE  CHANGE 
OF 

THE  §ABBATH. 

The  Seventh  Day  Adventists,  have  not  only 
been  uniting  their  forces  with  the  American  Secu- 
lar Union  and  the  German  Turners  for  the  over- 
throw of  our  Sabbath  laws :  but,  have  been  con- 
stantly striving  to  block  the  arguments  of  the 
Christian  forces  regarding  the  change  of  the  Sab- 
bath from  the  seventh  to  the  first  day  of  the  week. 
We  are  familiar  with  the  challenge,  "Show  unto 
us  a  direct  'Thus  saith  the  Lord'  for  the  change  of 
the  Sabbath,  and  we  will  thereafter  worship  God 
on  the  first  Day  of  the  Week."  Without  at- 
tempting to  criticise  in  any  degree  King  James's 
translation  of  the  New  Testament,  if  there  be  any 
scholars  among  them :  we  ask  them  to  translate 
orally  in  the  presence  of  any  body  of  scholarly 
men,  or  to  write  it  out  in  document  form  for  the 
perusal  of  scholarly  readers,  a  correct  translation 
of  the  first  verse  of  the  twenty-eighth  chapter  of 
Matthew,  and  we  believe  they  will  vary  but  slight- 
ly, if  any,  from  the  following  rendering:  "In 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


121 


the  end  of  the  Sabbaths,  as  it  began  to  dawn  to- 
ward the  first  of  the  Sabbaths,  came  Mary  Magda- 
lene and  the  other  Mary  to  see  the  sepulcher." 
This  declaration  appears  to  us  like  a  direct,  "Thus 
saith  the  Lord,"  for  the  change  of  the  Sabbath. 
What  Sabbaths  were  then  coming  to  an  end  ?  Sure- 
ly, none  other  than  the  Sabbaths  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament Dispensation.  What  Sabbaths  were  then 
having  a  beginning  ?  Surely,  none  other  than  the 
Sabbaths  of  the  New  Testament  Dispensation. 
This  indeed,  appears  to  be  a  direct,  ''Thus  saith 
the  Lord,"  for  the  change  of  the  Sabbath,  and  was 
repeatedly  emphasized  by  the  worthy  example  of 
the  Lord  of  the  Sabbath  Himself.  ''Example  is 
better  than  precept,"  and,  "Actions  speak  louder 
than  words." 

THE  SABBATH  WAS  MADE  FOR  MAN. 

The  two  words — "was  made" — as  we  have  al- 
ready remarked,  refer  to  the  institution  of  the 
Sabbath.  And  since  we  are  to  pursue  the  discus- 
sion of  the  institution  of  the  Sabbath  no  further, 
we  will  now  expunge  the  two  words,  "was  made" 
— in  order  that  we  may  conduct  an  English  word 
analysis  comment,  upon  the  remaining  words  in 
the  statement.    The  statement  will  then  read, — 


122  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


THE  SABBATH  FOR  MAN. 

There  are  but  four  words  left  now  in  this  state- 
ment, and  we  may  very  properly  inquire :  What 
are  the  two  more  important  words?  We  believe 
our  readers  will  all  select  the  words  Sabbath  and 
man  as  the  more  important  words.  And  how  im- 
portant is  the  word  Sabbath  in  its  relationship' to 
the  other  words?  It  is  as  important  as  is  the 
great  occurrence  in  the  life  of  God  and  man  which 
it  celebrates  during  a  dispensation.  And  what 
great  occurrence  in  the  life  of  God  and  man,  did 
the  Sabbath  memorialize  or  celebrate  during  the 
Old  Testament  Dispensation?  It  memorialized 
the  greatest  work  of  God  during  that  dispensa- 
tion— the  finished  work  of  creation.  On  every 
recurring  Sabbath  for  four  thousand  years,  the 
highest  incentive  that  moved  man's  adoration  was 
the  thought,  that  the  God  whom  he  worshiped 
was  the  great  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth.  How 
important  is  the  word  Sabbath  in  its  relationship 
to  the  other  words  in  the  statement,  when  applied 
to  the  New  Testament  Dispensation?  It  is  just 
as  important,  as  is  the  great  occurrence  in  the  life 
of  Christ,  which  it  memorializes  and  celebrates. 
And  what  great  occurrence  in  the  life  of  Christ 
does  it  celebrate  ?    It  celebrates  the  finished  work 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


123 


of  redemption,  the  proof  of  which  was  given  to 
the  world  very  early,  in  the  beginning  of  the  New 
Testament  Sabbaths,  when  Jesus  arose  from  the 
dead.  Speaking  reverently,  the  New  Testament 
Sabbath,  is  to  continue  to  memoralize  and  cele- 
brate in  its  weekly  recurrence  on  the  first  day  of 
the  week,  the  greatest  occurrence  in  the  life  of 
God,  that  shall  ever  effect  the  persons  of  the  God 
Head,  during  the  dispensations  of  the  ages  of  an 
unmeasured  and  immeasurable  eternity.  It  does 
appear,  that  the  New  Testament  Sabbath  cele- 
brates a  greater  event  in  the  life  of  God,  than  the 
Old  Testament  Sabbath  ever  celebrated; — The 
finished  work  of  redemption.  It  memorializes, 
celebrates  and  forever  keeps  in  memory,  the  com- 
pletion of  the  greatest  work  that  God  had  ever 
undertaken  to  accomplish. 

THE  GREATER  WORK  OF  GOD. 

The  greater  work  of  God,  because  of  its  greater 
cost.  It  cost  God  more  to  finish  the  work  of  re- 
demption, than  it  did  to  finish  the  work  of  crea- 
tion. It  cost  God  nothing  but  pleasure  to  create  all 
things ;  for  *'The  morning  stars  sang  for  joy 
"And  God  saw  everything  that  He  had  made, 
and,  behold  it  was  very  good."  O  the  cost  of  the 
working  out  of  the  plan  of  redemption!  The 


124  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


great  orb  of  day,  and  even  nature  herself,  did 
veil  their  faces,  at  the  great  outrages  perpetrated 
upon  our  Saviour  by  His  enemies  in  the  hour  of 
His  crucifixion.  Sympathetic  nature!  The  sun 
was  turned  to  the  appearance  of  blood,  the  moon 
withdrew  herself  from  shining,  the  heavens  grew 
black  as  sack-cloth  of  hair  at  noontide,  and  when 
He  had  oifered  the  prayer,  "Father,  forgive  them  ; 
for  they  know  not  what  they  do."  And,  last  of 
all,  when,  He  said,  **It  is  finished?"  "The  veil 
of  the  temple  was  rent  from  the  top  to  the  bot- 
tom ;"  the  earth  did  quake  and  the  rocks  did  rend, 
to  tell  the  world,  that  Jesus  had  finished  a  greater 
work,  than  the  work  of  creation.  By  the  emphasis 
of  the  rent  rocks,  the  opened  sepulchers,  the  resur- 
rection of  Christ,  and  His  own  example,  we  call 
upon  all  men  to  the  end  of  time,  to  celebrate  on 
the  first  day  of  the  week,  the  greater  work  of  God 
— ^the  finished  work  of  redemption.  For  why 
should  we  continue  to  celebrate  the  work,  which 
cost  God  least,  while  His  greater  work,  which  cost 
Him  most,  should  forever  remain  uncelebrated. 
We  believe  it  cost  the  only  begotten  and  well  be- 
loved Son  of  God,  infinitely  more  to  provide  sal- 
vation for  a  soul,  than  it  did  to  create  a  soul.  We 
believe,  the  Christian  has  now,  a  far  more  intense- 
ly profound  reason  for  adoring  and  magnifying 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


125 


the  great  name  of  our  God  on  the  first  day  of  the 
week  than  ever  thrilled  the  heart  of  the  devout 
Jew,  in  the  worship  of  God  on  the  seventh  day 
of  the  week.  May  our  readers,  in  a  new  vision, 
in  a  word  analysis  method  of  studying  a  portion 
of  Scripture,  discover  the  importance  of  the  word 
— Sabbath,  in  its  connection ;  because  of  what  the 
institution  named  memoralizes  and  celebrates 
during  a  dispensation.  Have  we  not  then,  furnish- 
ed to  our  readers,  a  Scriptural,  logical  and  natural 
reason  for  the  change  of  the  Sabbath  from  the 
seventh  to  the  first  day  of  the  week  ? 

THE  SABBATH  FOR  MAN. 

Our  readers  had  also  selected  the  word  man,  as 
of  paramount  importance  in  its  relationship  with 
the  other  words,  in  the  above  statement.  And 
how  important  is  the  word  man  in  its  relationship 
as  already  indicated  ?  The  word  man,  in  its  pres- 
ent use,  is  as  important  as  is  the  creature  named, — 
the  creature  for  whom  God  made  the  Sabbath. 
And  the  creature  named  is  as  important,  as  He  is 
in  every  part  of  His  component  being.  The  com- 
plete man,  for  whom  God  made  the  Sabbath, 
comes  pretty  nearly  being  a  trinity  in  one  being. 
Our  standard  authors  on  Physiology  and  Anat- 
omy, appear  to  write,  as  thought  the  physical  man 


126  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


was  the  one  abstract  being  alone,  which  they  de- 
sired to  comprehend  and  fully  understand.  Our 
great  authors  in  the  study  of  Mental  Philosophy, 
and  mental  phenomena,  appear  to  write,  in  their 
abstracted  manner ;  as  though  the  intellectual  man. 
was  the  only  man  they  knew, — the  only  man  in 
the  universe.  And,  our  standard  authors  in  their 
marvelous  works  on  Psychology,  appear  to  write ; 
as  though  the  moral  man,  was  the  only  man  whom 
God  had  made, — the  only  created  being,  worthy 
of  their  profoundest  thought  and  study.  It  re- 
quires these  three  in  one, — the  physical,  the  in- 
tellectual and  the  moral  man,  to  constitute  the  one 
man,  for  whom,  God  made  the  Sabbath.  The 
Sabbath  was  made  for  man  in  all  his  component 
being:  and,  if  from  the  supreme  motive  of  love  to 
Christ, — the  blessed  Lord  of  the  Sabbath,  he  will 
remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy,  in  obe- 
dience to  the  divine  command ;  he  will  be  a  better 
man  physically,  intellectually,  morally,  domesti- 
cally, socially,  industrially,  temporally,  spiritually 
and  eternally ;  than  if  he  continually  wills  to  pro- 
fane God's  most  holy  day.  If  we  were  able  to 
assemble  the  whole  world  of  mankind  to-day,  in 
one  vast  congregation  ;  placing  all  the  devout  Sab- 
bath observers  on  our  right  hand,  and  all  who  will 
to  profane  the  Sabbath  on  our  left :  and  if  we  were 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


127 


then  enabled  to  see  somewhat  as  God  sees,  what 
a  picture  would  unfold  itself  to  our  vision.  If 
we  were  able  then,  to  impanel  a  jury,  consisting 
of  six  Atheists  and  six  devils,  with  the  arch 
enemy  himself  as  foreman  and  spokesman :  when 
they  would  take  a  thorough  look  at  the  two  divis- 
ions of  the  vast  assembly,  if  they  should  all  agree 
according  to  an  honest  conviction :  they  would  be 
compelled  to  hand  down  the  unanimous  verdict: 
That  those  on  the  right  hand  were  the  sheep  of 
God's  own  pasture,  while  all  those  on  the  left  hand 
were  the  goats  of  the  devil's  own  herding.  But, 
some  shrewd  devil  would  object,  like  some  of 
our  so-called  statesmen,  saying,  ''While  it  is  evi- 
dent to  every  member  of  this  notable  jury,  that 
all  those  on  the  right  hand  are  peaceful,  intelli- 
gent, tranquil,  happy,  clothed  and  in  their  right 
minds,  and  Tiave  no  need  of  policemen  to  keep 
them  quiet :  and,  while  on  the  left  hand,  there  arc 
thieves,  gamblers,  drunkards,  adulterers,  whore- 
mongers, murderers  and  lovers  and  makers  of  lies, 
in  company  with  the  more  refined  disciples  of  In- 
gersoll ;  yet  it  will  not  do  to  render  a  unanimous 
verdict,  in  favor  of  the  strict  observance  of  the 
Sabbath,  lest  it  turn  to  be  a  matter  of  the  gravest 
discouragement  to  our  purchaseable  friends  at 
Harrisburg,  Albany,   Washington,  D.  C.,  and 


128  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


everywhere  else,  in  their  praiseworthy  efforts  to 
repeal  the  old  Blue  Laws  of  the  fanatics.  I  move 
you  therefore,  that  we  bring  in  a  unanimous  ver- 
dict, that  the  Sabbath  is  a  beneficial  institution, 
resulting  in  favor  and  advantage  to  man  physi- 
cally, intellectually,  morally,  domestically,  social- 
ly, industrially,  financially,  temporally,  spirit- 
ually and  eternally; — if  our  laws  be  so  con- 
structed and  construed  as  to  leave  all  men  who 
are  not  commendably  required  to  labor  seven  days 
in  the  week  for  less  than  six  days'  pay,  to  the 
greater  advantage  of  our  public  benefactors :  free, 
absolutely  free ;  to  spend  the  entire  day  according 
to  the  desire  and  inclination  of  each  individual 
person.  Are  we  all  agreed  ?  We  are  all  agreed,  and 
our  fore-devil  shall  be  our  spokesman.  It  would 
of  all  probability  be  reported,  that  when  this  ver- 
dict would  be  reached,  that  the  well-smoked  vaults 
in  hell  would  ring,  and  ring  again,  with  demoniac 
shouts  of  applause,  until  all  the  devils  in  the  bot- 
tomless pit  would  grow  silent  from  sheer  exhaus- 
tion. Reference  also  was  made,  by  a  member  of 
the  jury — in  a  jocular  way ;  "That  Robert  Inger- 
soll  in  his  day,  was  as  good  looking  and  intelligent 
as  was  any  of  the  thorough  devout  Sabbath  ob- 
servers." If  he  was,  he  was  in  bad  company,  and 
was  ever  found  skipping  upon  the  mountains  of 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


T29 


vanity,  with  the  Hcentious  goats.  Where  did  In- 
gersoll  attain  to  his  wisdom  and  inteUigence? 
True,  he  had  natural  intellect;  yet,  had  he  been 
so  unfortunate  as  to  have  been  born  in  Central 
Africa  or  farther  India;  where  there  is  no  God, 
no  Bible,  no  church,  no  minister,  no  Sabbath :  it  is 
our  candid  opinion,  that  he  would  have  lived  and 
died  in  obscurity ;  and  the  world  would  never  have 
known  a  Robert  Ingersoll.  His  great  fortune  lay 
in  his  being  born  in  a  Christian  land ;  in  the  midst 
of  a  Christian  civilization ;  where  there  were 
churches,  and  Bibles,  and  Sabbaths,  and  minis- 
ters, and  colleges  and  other  institutions  of  learn- 
ing. In  the  midst  of  this  splendid  environment, 
he  was  born,  educated,  nurtured  to  maturity  and 
schooled  into  prominence,  and  afterward,  like  a 
bastard  son,  he  cursed  the  mother  that  nurtured 
him.  Ingersoll  may  have  been  a  great  man  physi- 
cally and  intellectually  when  he  cursed  God,  the 
church,  the  Bible  and  the  Sabbath :  but  in  the 
moral  conception  of  his  soul,  we  believe  he  was 
the  smallest  man  in  his  generation.  We  lose  noth- 
ing, by  conceding  that  he  was  physically  and  in- 
tellectually great.  Yet,  he  was  but  little  more, 
in  his  development,  than  the  two  sides  of  a  tri- 
angular being.  If  from  childhood ;  as  he  had 
ample  opportunity,  he  had  learned  to  love  the 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  had  labored  to  develop 
the  moral  attributes  of  his  soul :  he  would  have 
won  a  championship  for  being  great,  on  the  three 
sides  of  his  component  being.  He  would  not  only 
have  become  a  triangularly  bright  and  shining 
light  in  the  world;  but,  in  the  celestial  world,  he 
would  have  continued  to  shine,  as  one  of  God's 
bright  luminaries,  forever  and  ever.  But  now, 
(except  by  some  unrevealed  process,  he  may  have 
been  brought  to  embrace  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
in  the  hour  of  dissolution,)  his  soul  did  plunge 
into  the  impenetrable  blackness  of  darkness  to 
be  buried  in  obUvion,  from  the  sight  of  God  for- 
evermore,  and  all  because ;  he  had  no  God,  no 
Christ,  no  rehgion,  no  Bible,  no  Sabbath. 

EPISODE. 

Whether  in  the  body  or  out  of  the  body,  the 
following  episode  has  fixed  itself  in  our  memory 
as  a  real  occurrence.  Some  fifteen  years  ago, 
it  was  our  good  fortune,  to  enjoy  the  exquisite 
pleasure,  to  spend  a  few  days  in  that  indescribably 
delightful  summer  resort — Manitou,  which,  in  the 
midst  of  nature's  sparkling  brooklets  and  gushing 
fountains,  nestles  so  sweetly  in  the  bosom  of  the 
foot-hills,  at  the  very  base  of  the  prince  of  the 
Rocky  Mountain  range.    In  the  midst  of  all  these 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


31 


splendid  proofs  of  God's  creative  energy,  one 
might  scarcely  expect  to  be  able  to  discover  an 
Atheist  or  an  Agnostic.  We  were  enabled,  in- 
deed, to  discover  one.  Chameleon-like,  he  was 
hid  away,  together  with  God's  more  rational 
creatures,  surrounded  by  the  rugged  proofs  of 
the  existence  of  one  supreme  and  all-wise  Creator. 
He  was  designated  to  me  as  a  man,  and,  he  was 
the  proprietor  of  the  sunniest  of  the  sun-lit  cot- 
tages. His  noble  wife,  was  a  devout  Christian 
lady — a  consecrated  member  and  worker  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  We  had  gone,  in 
company  with  a  number  of  others,  to  the  mid- 
week prayer-meeting.  After  the  prayer-meeting 
was  over,  as  we  were  returning  to  our  home  in 
the  cottage :  we  were  earnestly  conversing,  as  to 
the  many  advantages  that  come  to  a  people  from 
the  regular  attendance  upon  the  church  services 
and  the  prayer-meeting.  Our  good  landlady  re- 
marked, saying,  "I  was  very  much  interested  in 
your  most  helpful  and  instructive  address  in  the 
prayer-meeting.  I  wish  with  all  my  heart,  every 
man  could  see  and  embrace  the  truth  as  you  do. 
What  a  blessed  world  we  would  have,  if  every  per- 
son could  believe  in  God,  in  Christ,  in  Christian- 
ity, in  the  Bible  and  the  Sabbath?  I  am  sorry- 
it  is  not  so:  my  husband  is  an  Atheist.    He  is  a 


132  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


devout  disciple  of  Ingersoll;  and  if  he  discovers 
that  you  are  a  Christian  man,  he  will  be  sure  to 
attack  you  in  his  own  house  and  in  the  presence 
of  company.  Nothing  pleases  him  so  well  as  to 
win  a  victory  for  Atheism,  by  silencing  a  Chris- 
tian man  in  company.  I  wish  to  put  you  on  your 
guard.  *To  be  forewarned  is  to  be  forearmed.' 
If  he  should  make  an  attack  upon  the  Christian 
religion,  I  hope  that  you  may  be  able,  by  the  power 
of  the  Spirit,  to  so  effectually  silence  him,  that  he 
will  never  open  his  mouth  again  against  Christ 
and  all  that  is  precious  in  this  life.  I  hope  you 
may  set  him  thinking,  so  as  to  make  it  the  turn- 
ing point  in  his  Hfe.  O  how  happy  I  would  be 
if  my  husband  were  a  Christian  ?"  The  opportun- 
ity soon  came,  in  the  presence  of  a  delightful  com- 
pany in  his  own  parlor.  The  conversation  turned 
inadvertently  to  the  subject  of  religion.  In  turn 
the  husband  and  proprietor,  poured  out  his  senti- 
ments in  bitter  and  abusive  attack  upon  Christian- 
ity, the  church,  the  Bible  and  the  Sabbath.  I 
prayed  that  some  one  might  break  the  unbearable 
silence.  No  one  uttered  a  word  in  defense  of 
Christ's  kingdom.  My  soul  did  burn  with  right- 
eousness indignation  and  power  of  utterance  was 
given  unto  me.  I  said,  will  you  give  audience  to 
me  sir?    We  have  heard  you  give  vent  to  your 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


133 


feelings  against  that  which  we  hold  dear  and 
sacred.  Permit  me  to  ask  you  a  single  question : 
What  would  you  do  with  Christianity ;  the  church, 
the  Bible  and  the  holy  Sabbath  if  you  had  the 
power,  Sir?  He  replied,  ''I  would  annihilate 
them."  Do  you  expect  to  live  long  enough  in  our 
Christian  country,  to  be  able  to  effectually  accom- 
pHsh  your  desire?  "I  do  not."  Will  you  permit 
me  then,  to  do  you  a  life-long  favor.  Will  you 
permit  me  to  furnish  you  with  an  environment, 
similar  to  that  which  you  declare  you  would  pro- 
cure for  yourself  if  you  had  the  power?  I  will 
furnish  to  you  the  desired  environment.  You 
have  a  splendid  property.  It  is  very  desirable. 
Put  it  on  the  market.  Sell  it.  Put  the  money 
in  your  pocket  and  come  with  me.  I  will  con- 
duct you  away  -from  the  environment,  which  is  to 
you  so  distasteful.  I  will  furnish  to  you  an  envir- 
onment similar  to  that  which  you  declare,  you 
would  procure  for  yourself,  if  you  had  the  power. 
I  will  locate  you  where  there  is  no  God ;  no  Chris- 
tianity ;  no  church ;  no  Bible ;  no  Sabbath, — in  the 
dark  continent  of  Africa,  or  farther  India.  Let 
me  invest  your  money  there,  and  locate  your  fam- 
ily there.  Will  you  go,  sir?  He  was  silent.  The 
cause  of  Christ  prevailed.  He  was  unwilling  to 
risk  the  change.    He  was  unwilling  to  risk  the 


134  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


value  of  his  property.  He  was  unwilling  to  risk 
the  security  of  his  own  life,  together  with  the  life 
and  future  happiness  of  his  wife  and  children. 
He  was  unwilling  to  separate  himself,  together 
with  his  effects,  from  the  splendid  environment 
which  a  long  continued  Christian  civilization  had 
procured  for  him.  It  was  this  long  continued  en- 
vironment, which  rendered  them  all  permanently 
secure  in  their  persons  and  their  effects.  He 
knew  full  well,  that  our  Christian  civilization, 
was  the  true  guarantee  of  his  inherent  right  to 
life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness.  We 
advised  him,  in  a  closing  remark,  never  again  to 
open  his  mouth  against  God,  and  Christ,  the 
Christian  religion  and  the  holy  Sabbath,  until  he 
was  thoroughly  willing  to  migrate  and  to  make 
the  proposed  change.  It  does  appear,  that  no  man 
can  fully  appreciate,  the  greatness  of  the  security 
and  blessing,  which  Christianity  brings  to  him 
in  his  person  and  in  his  effects ;  until  he  be  con- 
verted, and  until,  from  the  motive  of  love  to 
Christ,  he  learns  to  reverence  God's  sanctuary, 
and  is  unreservedly  willing  from  the  same  mo- 
tive to  remember  the  Sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy. 
And  here  ends  our  episode. 


AND  THE  SABBATH, 


135 


THE  SABBATH  FOR  MAN. 

We  have  taken  special  pains  to  emphasize  the 
importance  of  the  words  Sabbath  and  man,  in  the 
relationship,  which  they  bear  to  the  other  words 
in  the  foregoing  statement.  It  now  devolves 
upon  us  to  discover  the  importance  of  the  definite 
article  which  introduces  the  statement.  The  in- 
dex finger,  upon  the  mile-board  at  the  cross-roads, 
has  a  definite  office  to  perform ;  inasmuch  as  it 
points  definitely  to  the  place,  which  the  weary 
traveler  desires  to  reach.  So  is  the  definite  article 
in  its  office.  In  the  above  statement,  the  definite 
article  the,  appears  to  accompany  the  index  finger 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  as  he  reaches  down 
from  heaven,  and  definitely  touches  a  day  in  the 
week,  and  announces,  that  that  day  was  made  for 
man.  He  does  not  touch  definitely  with  His  in- 
dex finger — the  Monday,  and  announce  that  the 
Monday  was  made  for  man :  nor  the  Wednesday, 
nor  the  Saturday.  But,  in  the  use  of  the  definite 
article  the,  He  reaches  down  from  heaven,  with 
His  index  finger,  as  it  were,  and  definitely  touches 
the  holy  Sabbath,  and  announces  that  the  Sabbath 
was  made  for  man,  if  he  will  but  constantly  re- 
member the  same,  to  keep  it  holy,  according  to 
the  divine  commandment.    He  definitely  touches 


136  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


the  first  day  in  the  week,  and  announces  to  the 
whole  world  of  mankind :  that  the  day  which  now 
performs  the  office  of  memorializing  the  finished 
work  of  redemption ;  was  made  for  man  to  keep 
holy.  We  take  this  to  be  the  God  intended  use 
of  the  definite  article  the,  in  its  relationship  to  the 
other  words  in  the  foregoing  statement. 

THE  SABBATH  FOR  MAN. 

In  our  word  analysis  of  this  portion  of  Scrip- 
ture, there  is  but  one  word  left  now,  which  we  de- 
sire to  emphasize.  Shall  we  pass  it  by,  because 
it  is  a  very  little  word?  We  know  that  many 
scholars  will  declare,  that  the  preposition,  as  to  its 
office,  is  the  most  insignificant  word  in  the  lan- 
guage. They  will  even  declare,  that  it  might  be 
omitted  from  the  structure  of  a  sentence,  were  it 
not  for  the  sake  of  euphony.  We  should  always 
remember  however:  that  when  the  Holy  Spirit 
breathes  a  preposition  into  a  portion  of  Scripture ; 
it  is  just  as  important  in  its  office  as  is  the  noun, 
pronoun  or  verb.  When  we  come  to  conduct  a 
word  analysis  of  a  portion  of  Scripture,  we  dis- 
cover that  the  preposition  is  as  important,  as  is 
any  word  in  the  language.  If  we  will  omit  a 
single  word  in  such  analysis ;  we  will  surely  lose 
a  portion  of  the  marrow  of  the  teaching  which  the 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


137 


text  is  designed  to  set  forth.  What  then,  is  the 
significance  of  the  preposition  for,  in  the  above 
statement  ?  It  means,  in  view  of ;  with  reference 
to ;  because  of ;  in  behalf  of ;  concerning,  &c. : — all 
of  which  may  be  reduced  to  the  one  primary  mean- 
ing, in  favor  of.  These  three  words,  appear  to 
represent  the  primary  definition  for  the  little  pre- 
position. We  will  now  expunge  the  preposition 
and  insert  its  primary  meaning.  The  statement 
will  then  read  "The  Sabbath  was  made  in  favor  of 
man."  We  will  now  transpose  the  statement  and 
we  will  have  a  sentence  in  good  English.  It  will 
then  read,  'The  Sabbath  was  made  in  man's 
favor."  This  final  rendering  appears  to  be  the 
briefest  embodiment  of  the  mind  of  Christ  regard- 
ing man  and  the  Sabbath.  O  the  marvelous 
beauty  of  the  world  of  thought,  that  attaches  itself 
to  this  subject ;  from  the  study  of  the  office  of  the 
little  preposition,  in  its  relationship  to  the  other 
words  in  the  statement.  It  enables  us  in  some 
degree  to  magnify  the  unutterable  value  and  im- 
portance of  our  New  Testament  Sabbath.  It  ap- 
pears to  magnify  the  love  of  God  the  Father,  in 
sending  His  only  begotten  and  well  beloved  Son 
into  the  world,  to  die,  that  we  might  live.  It 
celebrates  the  perfect  love  of  Christ,  when  "He 
bowed  His  head  upon  the  cross  and  cried,  Tt  is 


138 


CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


finished.'  "  This  same  love  did  burst  into  newness 
of  life,  in  the  bursting  of  the  tomb,  very  early,  on 
the  first  day  of  the  week.  The  whole  subject,  thus 
considered,  appears  to  reflect  back  upon  a  sin-sick 
world,  the  benediction  of  His  glorious  ascension. 
It  appears  to  reflect  back,  the  same  infinite  love 
and  divine  compassion,  from  the  throne,  to  which 
he  has  ascended,  where  "He  ever  liveth  to  make 
intercession."  It  afforded  an  opportunity,  for  the 
manifestation  of  the  love  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as 
He  appeared  in  the  cloven  tongues  of  fire  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost.  Every  recurring  New  Testa- 
ment Sabbath,  may  very  properly  be  regarded,  as 
the  manifestation  of  the  love  of  a  triune  God.  The 
Sabbath,  viewed  in  this  light,  is  the  rainbow  of 
promise:  and  premonates  the  bestowment  of  all 
new  covenant  blessing,  upon  the  true  household 
of  faith.  It  is  not  only  designed  to  celebrate  the 
finished  work  of  redemption,  the  proof  of  which, 
burst  upon  man's  vision  in  the  morning  of  our 
Saviour's  resurrection :  but,  after  the  resurrection 
of  the  saints,  it  will  be  merged  into  one  unending 
Sabbath  in  heaven.  It  will  then  continue  not  only 
to  memorialize  the  finished  work  of  redemption 
as  was  seen  in  the  resurrection  of  Christ:  but  it 
will  also  memorialize  the  resurrection  and  glorifi- 
cation of  the  innumerable  company  of  the  re- 


AND  THE  SABBATH. 


T39 


deemed,  whose  resurrection,  we  believe  will  also 
occur  very  early,  in  the  first  day  of  the  week.  If 
we  can  succeed  in  schooling  all  men  to  remember 
the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy,  from  the  supreme 
motive  of  love  to  Christ,  according  to  the  signifi- 
cance which  the  little  preposition  attaches  to  the 
subject:  it  will  then  result  in  super-abundant 
blessing  to  man,  when  he  lies  down  and  when  he 
rises  up;  when  he  goes  out  and  when  he  comes 
in ;  in  his  basket  and  in  his  store ;  in  the  showers 
of  heaven  and  in  the  dews  that  distill  at  night ;  in 
summer  and  in  winter;  in  seed-time  and  in  har- 
vest, and  in  the  blessed  sun-shine  that  floods  our 
world. 

We  pray  that  the  church  of  Christ  may  awake 
from  the  deadly  stupor  of  her  lethargy:  and  being 
rejuvenated  by  a  fresh  Pentecostal  anointing,  she 
may  not  only  succeed  in  saving  our  Sabbath ;  but 
in  bringing  men  everywhere  into  such  relationship 
to  God  and  to  the  perfect  law  of  liberty ;  that  the 
redeemed  multitudes  will  voluntarily  and  joyfully 
remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy,  from 
the  praiseworthy  and  supreme  motive  of  love  to 
Christ.  Then  the  Sabbath  will  result  in  man's 
favor  in  every  conceivable  manner,  as  is  but  par- 
tially indicated  in  the  diagram  at  the  opening  of 
this  chapter.    Then,  there  will  not  only  be  heav- 


140  CHRISTIAN  GOVERNMENT 


enly  communion,  but  there  will  be  happy  family 
reunions  in  all  the  families  of  the  earth,  once 
every  seven  days.  The  people  will  then  come  to 
realize  as  never  before,  that  when  the  holy  Sab- 
bath is  observed  by  all  the  people  according  to  the 
Divine  command,  it  will  tend  to  promote,  health, 
wealth,  grace,  honor,  character,  influence,  wis- 
dom, power,  prosperous  Hfe,  eternal  life:  and 
Jesus  will  be  owned  and  reverenced  as  the  Lord 
of  the  Sabbath,  and  all  will  joyfully  realize  that 
"the  Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  and  not  man  for 
the  Sabbath." 


